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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. press — newspapers
  2. branch — a division
  3. spring — a coil
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. firm — decided
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. firm — a company
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. mark — a trace
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. spring — the season
  13. content — the amount
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. spring — of water
  16. firm — steady
  17. mark — a grade
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. press — a publisher
  20. content — happy
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. press — to push
  23. content — videos and posts
  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