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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. degree — from a university
  5. press — to push
  6. cell — a phone
  7. degree — temperature
  8. rush — hurry
  9. can — a tin
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. suit — clothes
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mate — a friend
  16. suit — to fit
  17. can — a tin
  18. press — a publisher
  19. degree — an amount
  20. mate — to breed
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. can — to be able to
  23. suit — in cards
  24. cell — in biology

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