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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. press — to push
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. press — newspapers
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rock — a stone
  10. field — for sport
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. branch — a division
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. press — a publisher
  19. field — a subject
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. field — farmland
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. ruler — a monarch

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