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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 116 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. press — to push
  13. staff — a stick
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. press — newspapers
  19. staff — employees
  20. branch — a division
  21. staff — employees
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pound — a weight
  24. lie — to recline

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