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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. press — to push
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. content — the amount
  7. branch — a division
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. press — a publisher
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. file — a document
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. file — a tool
  16. fall — to drop
  17. content — happy
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. file — a line of people
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fall — the season
  24. deal — a big deal

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