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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bowl · spring · bank · nail · craft · press · mouse · lean

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. lean — thin
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bank — of a river
  9. craft — boats
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bank — for money
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — to push
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lean — to bend
  20. craft — a skill
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com