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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. press — a publisher
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rush — hurry
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. content — the amount
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. press — to push
  19. content — happy
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. press — newspapers
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. branch — a division
  24. fork — in a road

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