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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. press — a publisher
  5. can — a tin
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. press — to push
  8. pit — a hole
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. branch — a division
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. can — to be able to
  17. press — newspapers
  18. can — a tin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rash — a series
  24. pit — in a race

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