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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. fine — all right
  4. foot — a measure
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. press — to push
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cue — for pool
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. cue — a hint
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. cue — a signal
  17. press — newspapers
  18. branch — a division
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. stand — to bear
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. press — a publisher

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