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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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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. degree — from a university
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. chest — a box
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — an amount
  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