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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fall — to drop
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. fall — to drop
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. press — to push
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. fall — the season
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. branch — a division
  22. rest — a break
  23. deal — to handle
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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