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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pit — a hole
  3. saw — the tool
  4. branch — a division
  5. press — newspapers
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pit — in a race
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — a company
  11. present — there
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. shower — to wash
  14. present — the time now
  15. bark — to shout
  16. press — to push
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. saw — the tool
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. present — a gift
  21. shower — rain
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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