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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. press — a publisher
  8. tube — a container
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. roll — a list
  16. roll — a cake
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. tube — the underground
  24. cabinet — ministers

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