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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 120 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. press — a publisher
  4. branch — a division
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. press — to push
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fork — in a road
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. press — newspapers
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. prune — to trim
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fork — to eat with

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