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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. press — newspapers
  6. fork — in a road
  7. dip — to sink
  8. press — a publisher
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. scale — size or range
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. branch — a division
  17. row — a line
  18. scale — in music
  19. row — to paddle
  20. press — to push
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mine — for digging
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. leaves — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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