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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. The water is too ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. cold — not warm
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. charge — in control
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. branch — a division
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. press — to push
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. rest — a break
  19. charge — a price
  20. press — a publisher
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pitch — completely
  23. cold — an illness
  24. charge — electricity

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