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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. board — to get on
  3. present — the time now
  4. press — to push
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. perch — the fish
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. board — a committee
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. present — a gift
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. present — there
  21. current — electric
  22. fall — the season
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. perch — for a bird

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