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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. present — there
  3. staff — employees
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. craft — boats
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. present — the time now
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. craft — a skill
  14. mine — for digging
  15. root — of a plant
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. branch — a division
  18. root — of a word
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. root — the cause
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. present — a gift
  24. staff — employees

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