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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. craft — a skill
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fine — high quality
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fine — all right
  13. foot — a measure
  14. press — a publisher
  15. rush — hurry
  16. press — to push
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. branch — a division
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. craft — boats
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. press — newspapers
  24. fan — to cool the air

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