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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — to breed
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mate — a friend
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. branch — a division
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. press — to push
  13. fine — all right
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fine — high quality
  16. chip — for betting
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. press — a publisher
  20. chip — to eat
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. press — newspapers
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bear — the animal

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