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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. face — to point toward
  6. press — a publisher
  7. face — to confront
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bound — obliged
  13. press — newspapers
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. press — to push
  18. bound — tied together
  19. swing — to play on
  20. rest — what's left
  21. branch — a division
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bound — certain
  24. face — part of the head

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