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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 116 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. press — newspapers
  3. firm — decided
  4. kid — to tease
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bat — the animal
  7. face — part of the head
  8. tube — the underground
  9. firm — a company
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. tube — a container
  12. mark — a grade
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. firm — steady

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