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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 120 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: press · snap · spell · march · bank · rush · bay · foot

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. press — to push
  6. bank — of a river
  7. march — music
  8. bank — for money
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. foot — a measure
  11. spell — letters
  12. bank — for money
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. press — a publisher
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. press — newspapers
  17. march — the month
  18. spell — a short time
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. march — the month
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. spell — magic
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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