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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — a division
  3. drill — a practice
  4. face — to point toward
  5. field — farmland
  6. rock — music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. field — for sport
  11. rock — a stone
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. mate — to breed
  15. face — to confront
  16. mate — a partner
  17. field — a subject
  18. mate — a friend
  19. press — a publisher
  20. drill — the tool
  21. face — part of the head
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. drill — army training
  24. branch — of a bank

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