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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 116 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. ball — a dance
  3. swing — music
  4. press — to push
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fall — to drop
  7. suit — to fit
  8. fall — to drop
  9. swing — to play on
  10. press — newspapers
  11. fall — the season
  12. press — a publisher
  13. ball — a great time
  14. prune — to trim
  15. branch — a division
  16. prune — to trim
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. club — for golf
  23. suit — clothes
  24. swing — in golf

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