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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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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: bank · present · land · press · lie · suit · bat · last

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. lie — to recline
  3. last — finally
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. suit — in cards
  6. present — a gift
  7. land — ground
  8. last — final
  9. suit — to fit
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. press — to push
  12. bat — the animal
  13. land — to come down
  14. press — newspapers
  15. present — there
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. present — the time now
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bank — of a river
  23. land — a country
  24. last — to go on

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