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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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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 · wake · object · bank · chair · fine · bound · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bank — of a river
  4. fine — all right
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. press — newspapers
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. chair — a leader
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bound — tied together
  22. object — to protest
  23. bound — certain
  24. press — to push

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