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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. saw — the tool
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. press — to push
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. deal — to handle
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — for golf
  18. press — a publisher
  19. club — a group
  20. press — newspapers
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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