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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. wake — a trail
  3. press — newspapers
  4. stock — shares
  5. present — a gift
  6. press — a publisher
  7. cell — a phone
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. tube — a container
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. cell — in biology
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. press — to push
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. tube — the underground
  22. present — the time now
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stock — goods

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