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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. pop — music
  8. branch — a division
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. spring — of water
  11. vault — a safe
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cell — a phone
  14. spring — a coil
  15. cell — in biology
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. press — newspapers
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pop — soda
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pop — to visit
  22. press — to push
  23. spring — the season
  24. cell — in a prison

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