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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. snap — to click
  5. can — a tin
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. stand — to bear
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. press — a publisher
  14. scale — in music
  15. can — a tin
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. press — to push
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. branch — a division
  24. bowl — a dish

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