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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: last · bank · nail · rush · track · press · present · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. last — finally
  3. last — to go on
  4. track — to keep track
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bank — of a river
  7. last — final
  8. bank — for money
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. press — a publisher
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rush — hurry
  14. track — a path
  15. present — a gift
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bank — for money
  18. press — to push
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. track — a song
  21. present — there
  22. swing — music
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. present — the time now

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