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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. file — a tool
  3. season — of the year
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. net — after costs
  6. season — in sport
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. perch — the fish
  10. branch — a division
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. rest — what's left
  15. press — to push
  16. file — a document
  17. rest — a break
  18. press — a publisher
  19. net — in sport
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. file — a line of people
  22. rest — what's left
  23. net — for catching
  24. fall — the season

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