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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. branch — a division
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. press — a publisher
  6. present — there
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bore — to tire
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. press — to push
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. press — newspapers
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ball — a dance
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rush — hurry
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bear — the animal
  24. ball — a great time

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