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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. shower — to wash
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — rain
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. rest — what's left
  16. branch — a division
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in biology
  22. rest — what's left
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bowl — a dish

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