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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. press — to push
  4. firm — steady
  5. season — in sport
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — decided
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. press — a publisher
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a hole
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rash — a series
  23. season — of the year
  24. press — newspapers

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