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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — electricity
  6. stand — to bear
  7. branch — a division
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. charge — a price
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. dip — to sink
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. press — to push
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. fall — the season
  21. press — newspapers
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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