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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 120 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rest — a break
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. last — finally
  8. rest — what's left
  9. press — to push
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. press — newspapers
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — final
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — a cup
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mug — to rob
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rest — what's left
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. branch — a division
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mine — for digging

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