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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. branch — a division
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fork — in a road
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. press — to push
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. net — in sport
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. branch — of a bank

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