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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. march — the month
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. march — the month
  6. deal — to handle
  7. press — newspapers
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. branch — a division
  13. press — a publisher
  14. season — of the year
  15. board — a committee
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. board — to get on
  18. press — to push
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. season — in sport
  22. march — music
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. stem — to come from

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