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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. wake — a trail
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a list
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. march — music
  8. rest — what's left
  9. march — the month
  10. press — a publisher
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. firm — a company
  15. rest — what's left
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. march — the month
  18. rest — a break
  19. roll — a cake
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. branch — a division
  24. wake — before a funeral

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