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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. face — to confront
  3. can — to be able to
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. can — a tin
  6. mine — for digging
  7. rock — a stone
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. face — to point toward
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. press — to push
  14. rock — music
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. press — a publisher
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. press — newspapers
  21. dip — to sink
  22. face — part of the head
  23. squash — to crush
  24. dip — to dunk

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