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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. branch — a division
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mark — a trace
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. press — newspapers
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. spring — a coil
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. spring — the season
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. spring — of water
  20. press — to push
  21. sharp — clever
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. cabinet — ministers

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