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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. fall — to drop
  3. staff — a stick
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mug — to rob
  6. press — to push
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mug — a face
  10. mark — a grade
  11. craft — a skill
  12. chip — for betting
  13. staff — employees
  14. branch — a division
  15. craft — boats
  16. staff — employees
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. fall — the season
  22. mug — a cup
  23. fall — to drop
  24. chip — to eat

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