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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mug — a face
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. press — to push
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. branch — a division
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mug — to rob
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — in sport
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bowl — to roll

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