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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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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: press · fan · face · bound · cue · chip · bank · ruler

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. press — a publisher
  3. cue — a signal
  4. face — to confront
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. face — to point toward
  7. press — newspapers
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bound — certain
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bank — for money
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. press — to push
  20. chip — for betting
  21. cue — a hint
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. cue — for pool

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