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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. suit — to fit
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. suit — clothes
  7. press — newspapers
  8. swing — music
  9. press — to push
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. press — a publisher
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. branch — a division
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. kick — in football
  16. swing — in golf
  17. suit — in cards
  18. row — a line
  19. row — to paddle
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. swing — to play on
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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