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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. spell — magic
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. fall — the season
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. cap — a hat
  9. press — a publisher
  10. branch — a division
  11. press — newspapers
  12. cap — a lid
  13. spell — a short time
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rule — a law
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. fall — to drop
  18. prune — to trim
  19. spell — letters
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cap — of ice
  23. press — to push
  24. rule — government

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