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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. land — ground
  3. branch — a division
  4. wound — an injury
  5. firm — a company
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. pass — a permit
  10. land — a country
  11. press — newspapers
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bat — the animal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. firm — decided
  19. press — a publisher
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. firm — steady
  22. land — to come down
  23. press — to push
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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