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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wound — an injury
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cue — a signal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pitch — completely
  8. press — a publisher
  9. cue — a hint
  10. press — newspapers
  11. wake — a trail
  12. branch — a division
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. dip — to sink
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cue — for pool
  18. press — to push
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to click
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pitch — a sports field

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