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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bass — low music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pass — a permit
  15. chair — a leader
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bass — the fish
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — to push
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. stem — of a plant
  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