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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bear — the animal
  5. key — for a lock
  6. press — a publisher
  7. branch — a division
  8. bear — the animal
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. press — newspapers
  11. last — finally
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. last — final
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rest — what's left
  17. key — in music
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. press — to push
  20. last — to go on
  21. pit — in a race
  22. key — the most important part
  23. row — a line
  24. rest — a break

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