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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. suit — clothes
  4. track — a path
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rest — a break
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mate — a partner
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. track — a song
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. suit — in cards
  17. press — to push
  18. spell — magic
  19. rest — what's left
  20. press — newspapers
  21. spell — letters
  22. suit — to fit
  23. spell — a short time
  24. press — a publisher

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