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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. branch — a division
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. ball — a dance
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. rule — a law
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. staff — employees
  9. rule — government
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. staff — employees
  12. drill — the tool
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. press — a publisher
  15. drill — army training
  16. board — to get on
  17. press — to push
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. drill — a practice
  21. press — newspapers
  22. staff — a stick
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. trunk — of a tree

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