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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. press — a publisher
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. cell — in biology
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. spring — the season
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. spring — of water
  12. can — a tin
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. capital — money
  18. cell — a phone
  19. press — to push
  20. capital — a city
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. spring — a coil
  24. branch — a division

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