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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. clip — to cut
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. board — a committee
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. clip — for paper
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. press — to push
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. clip — a video
  22. press — newspapers
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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