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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 124 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. press — newspapers
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. toast — bread
  9. march — music
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. march — the month
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. march — the month
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. branch — a division
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. press — to push
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — music
  24. perch — the fish

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