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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. bat — the animal
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the sport
  4. press — newspapers
  5. drill — the tool
  6. branch — a division
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. drill — army training
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. press — to push
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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