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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. root — of a plant
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cold — an illness
  8. stand — to bear
  9. file — a document
  10. mug — a cup
  11. file — a tool
  12. mug — to rob
  13. press — a publisher
  14. root — of a word
  15. press — to push
  16. mug — a face
  17. root — the cause
  18. cold — not warm
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. file — a line of people
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. press — newspapers
  24. stand — on your feet

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