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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: leaves · press · bowl · lie · toast · sharp · bank · chest

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bank — of a river
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. chest — of your body
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. toast — bread
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. press — a publisher
  11. sharp — clever
  12. chest — a box
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. press — to push
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bank — for money
  24. press — newspapers

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