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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rule — a law
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. press — newspapers
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rule — government
  17. staff — employees
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. press — to push
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. press — a publisher
  22. chair — a leader
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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