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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. press — a publisher
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. press — to push
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. press — newspapers
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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