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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mine · fork · can · press · bank · ball · chest · wake

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. press — newspapers
  9. can — a tin
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. fork — in a road
  14. press — a publisher
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. press — to push
  17. wake — a trail
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bank — of a river
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bank — for money
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mine — belonging to me

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