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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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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. press — to push
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fall — to drop
  7. capital — a city
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pass — a permit
  12. capital — money
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. fall — the season
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. press — newspapers
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. branch — of a tree
  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