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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. press — a publisher
  8. spring — of water
  9. press — newspapers
  10. spring — a coil
  11. press — to push
  12. can — a tin
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. can — a tin
  15. foot — a measure
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bass — the fish
  18. spring — the season
  19. bear — the animal
  20. branch — a division
  21. bass — low music
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. can — to be able to

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