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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
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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: bank · rash · snap · roll · press · bore · saw · clip

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bank — of a river
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a cake
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. press — a publisher
  7. snap — to click
  8. bank — for money
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bank — for money
  14. rash — a series
  15. bore — to drill
  16. rash — hasty
  17. clip — for paper
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. press — to push
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. clip — to cut
  22. saw — the tool
  23. clip — a video
  24. saw — the tool

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