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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 124 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. last — to go on
  4. sharp — clever
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. press — newspapers
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bear — the animal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. last — finally
  12. press — a publisher
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. last — final
  16. branch — a division
  17. press — to push
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. deal — a big deal

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