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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pitch — completely
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cap — a hat
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. face — to confront
  10. branch — a division
  11. face — to point toward
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — to push
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cap — a lid
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fall — the season
  19. cap — of ice
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. fall — to drop
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. arm — a part of something

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