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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. board — a committee
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. press — to push
  8. snap — to click
  9. press — a publisher
  10. ball — a great time
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. press — newspapers
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. board — to get on

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