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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — wild animals
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mine — for digging
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. press — a publisher
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. branch — a division
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. press — newspapers
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. game — a match
  24. press — to push

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