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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. mug — a face
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mug — to rob
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. press — a publisher
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mug — a cup
  10. chest — of your body
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. press — to push
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pop — to visit
  22. deal — to handle
  23. press — newspapers
  24. chest — a box

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