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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. present — there
  5. press — to push
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pit — a hole
  8. press — a publisher
  9. present — a gift
  10. press — newspapers
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. cap — of ice
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. cap — a lid
  16. perch — the fish
  17. plane — a tool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. present — the time now
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a race

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