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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lie — to recline
  3. band — a music group
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — thin
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — to push
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rush — hurry
  15. band — a ring
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. branch — a division
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. press — newspapers
  24. craft — a handicraft

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