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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. press — to push
  5. cue — for pool
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. ground — the earth
  8. press — newspapers
  9. chest — a box
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cue — a signal
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. band — a music group
  14. press — a publisher
  15. cue — a hint
  16. ground — a position
  17. rest — a break
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ground — crushed
  20. band — a ring
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. branch — a division
  24. chest — of your body

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