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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: present · bank · content · wake · press · rule · sharp · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. press — to push
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. content — the amount
  13. press — a publisher
  14. present — there
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — government
  20. last — final
  21. present — the time now
  22. bank — for money
  23. last — to go on
  24. present — a gift

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