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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. present — there
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. present — the time now
  11. wake — a trail
  12. press — newspapers
  13. band — a ring
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. present — a gift
  16. press — to push
  17. root — of a plant
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. press — a publisher
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. branch — a division
  22. band — a music group
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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