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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. net — in sport
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. press — to push
  9. pit — a hole
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. charge — a price
  13. pit — in a race
  14. press — a publisher
  15. charge — in control
  16. branch — a division
  17. net — for catching
  18. mate — a partner
  19. net — after costs
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. press — newspapers

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