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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 120 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. face — part of the head
  5. degree — from a university
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. face — to confront
  9. degree — an amount
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. press — to push
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. degree — temperature
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. press — newspapers
  18. face — to point toward
  19. rush — hurry
  20. branch — a division
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. press — a publisher
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. branch — of a tree

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