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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. roll — a list
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. season — of the year
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. saw — the tool
  10. season — in sport
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. roll — a cake
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. press — to push
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. press — newspapers
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. press — a publisher
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. tube — in a tire

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