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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. press — a publisher
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. branch — a division
  6. press — to push
  7. snap — to click
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. craft — a skill
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. craft — boats
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. suit — clothes
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. kick — in football
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. suit — to fit
  22. chair — a leader
  23. suit — in cards
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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