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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.

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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: face · press · safe · perch · wake · bat · bank · drill

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. drill — army training
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bat — the animal
  6. drill — the tool
  7. perch — the fish
  8. press — to push
  9. bank — of a river
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bank — for money
  15. wake — a trail
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. face — to confront
  24. drill — a practice

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