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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 124 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. game — a match
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rock — music
  5. fall — to drop
  6. press — a publisher
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fall — to drop
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. board — a committee
  12. press — to push
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. kick — in football
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. fall — the season
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. game — wild animals
  20. board — to get on
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. rock — a stone

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