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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 124 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. press — a publisher
  4. wind — moving air
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. kick — in football
  8. mark — a trace
  9. swing — music
  10. deal — to handle
  11. press — to push
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. press — newspapers
  16. branch — a division
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. wind — moving air
  20. present — the time now
  21. swing — to play on
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. swing — in golf
  24. mark — a grade

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