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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. suit — in cards
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. fall — to drop
  6. suit — to fit
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. current — electric
  9. press — newspapers
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. squash — the sport
  13. current — happening now
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. branch — a division
  16. press — a publisher
  17. fall — to drop
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. current — of water
  20. sharp — clever
  21. squash — to crush
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. press — to push
  24. fall — the season

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