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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. can — a tin
  3. branch — a division
  4. roll — a cake
  5. clip — to cut
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. clip — for paper
  11. content — the amount
  12. clip — a video
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. press — newspapers
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. press — to push
  21. content — happy
  22. roll — a list
  23. press — a publisher
  24. branch — of a bank

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