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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. fall — to drop
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. saw — the tool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. roll — a list
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. suit — in cards
  16. roll — a cake
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. branch — a division
  22. press — a publisher
  23. suit — clothes
  24. saw — the tool

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