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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. press — a publisher
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. ground — a position
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. stem — to come from
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fine — all right
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. craft — a skill
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. craft — boats
  18. press — newspapers
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. lie — to recline
  23. fine — high quality
  24. branch — a division

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