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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. press — newspapers
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. kick — in football
  8. bulb — for light
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. branch — a division
  11. press — to push
  12. ground — crushed
  13. march — the month
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. ground — the earth
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bulb — for light
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ground — a position
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. arm — part of the body

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