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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. squash — the sport
  7. press — to push
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. squash — to crush
  12. branch — a division
  13. current — of water
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. press — newspapers
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. ball — a dance
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a round shape
  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