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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. press — a publisher
  4. present — the time now
  5. face — to confront
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. row — a line
  10. firm — decided
  11. branch — a division
  12. face — to point toward
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. row — to paddle
  15. press — to push
  16. bear — the animal
  17. present — there
  18. face — part of the head
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — a company
  21. press — newspapers
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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