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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rest — what's left
  3. press — a publisher
  4. rest — what's left
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. scale — size or range
  7. fine — high quality
  8. snap — to click
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. scale — in music
  11. charge — electricity
  12. branch — a division
  13. spring — the season
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. charge — in control
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rest — a break
  22. fine — all right
  23. press — to push
  24. charge — a price

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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