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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. branch — a division
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. press — to push
  6. craft — a skill
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. present — there
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. present — the time now
  12. press — a publisher
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. press — newspapers
  16. craft — boats
  17. row — to paddle
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. row — a line
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. leaves — of a tree

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