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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 124 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.

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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: clip · safe · press · rash · bear · arm · bank · fork

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bank — of a river
  5. press — to push
  6. bear — the animal
  7. press — newspapers
  8. clip — to cut
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fork — in a road
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. clip — for paper
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. clip — a video
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rash — a series

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