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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.

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: dip · bank · press · tear · tube · current · date · arm

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. current — of water
  3. tear — from crying
  4. current — happening now
  5. bank — of a river
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. dip — to sink
  8. current — electric
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. press — a publisher
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. tube — a container
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bank — for money
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. press — newspapers
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bank — for money
  24. tube — the underground

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