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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 120 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. can — to be able to
  6. press — newspapers
  7. lie — to recline
  8. ground — the earth
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. press — a publisher
  14. ground — crushed
  15. can — a tin
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — clever
  18. can — a tin
  19. capital — a city
  20. ground — a position
  21. press — to push
  22. dip — to sink
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

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