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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. prune — to trim
  3. suit — clothes
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. face — part of the head
  6. march — the month
  7. branch — a division
  8. chest — of your body
  9. prune — to trim
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. face — to point toward
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — to push
  15. current — electric
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. march — the month
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. march — music
  22. chest — a box
  23. face — to confront
  24. press — newspapers

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