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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. march — the month
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. deal — to handle
  6. march — the month
  7. press — to push
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mine — for digging
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. branch — a division
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. stem — to come from
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. march — music
  24. press — a publisher

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