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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. press — a publisher
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. clip — to cut
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. clip — a video
  8. file — a line of people
  9. press — newspapers
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. branch — a division
  12. race — the arms race
  13. file — a document
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. clip — for paper
  16. press — to push
  17. race — humankind
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. race — a contest
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. sharp — exactly

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