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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. press — a publisher
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. dip — to sink
  7. press — newspapers
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. press — to push
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. perch — the fish
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cabinet — ministers

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