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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. press — a publisher
  3. last — finally
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mark — a grade
  6. press — newspapers
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. craft — a skill
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. tube — the underground
  12. last — to go on
  13. tube — a container
  14. craft — boats
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. last — final
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. chair — a leader
  22. press — to push
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. mark — a trace

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