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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. branch — a division
  4. press — to push
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bulb — for light
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mine — for digging
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. tube — a container
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. tube — the underground
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. saw — the tool

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