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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. branch — a division
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. can — to be able to
  7. scale — size or range
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. press — newspapers
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. press — a publisher
  12. capital — money
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. can — a tin
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. can — a tin
  18. snap — to click
  19. capital — a city
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. press — to push
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. scale — for weighing

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