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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 120 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. foot — a measure
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rest — what's left
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. press — a publisher
  15. rest — a break
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. deal — to handle
  20. press — newspapers
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. perch — the fish
  24. press — to push

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