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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. field — a subject
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. snap — to click
  9. dip — to sink
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — steady
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. field — for sport
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. press — newspapers
  18. branch — a division
  19. field — farmland
  20. press — a publisher
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. press — to push
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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