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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. charge — a price
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bore — to drill
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. press — a publisher
  11. mark — a trace
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. mark — a grade
  15. charge — in control
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wound — an injury
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bore — to tire
  21. press — to push
  22. branch — a division
  23. press — newspapers
  24. straw — dry grass

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