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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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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: mate · press · perch · wind · deal · saw · lash · bank

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a friend
  6. perch — the fish
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bank — of a river
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. saw — the tool
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bank — for money
  16. mate — a partner
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. press — to push
  22. bank — for money
  23. wind — moving air
  24. deal — an agreement

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