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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. object — a thing
  3. swing — music
  4. press — a publisher
  5. swing — in golf
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. object — to protest
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. press — newspapers
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. branch — a division
  14. object — an aim
  15. swing — to play on
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. press — to push
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. hand — help
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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