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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mate — a partner
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wound — an injury
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. hand — help
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. present — there
  12. hand — in cards
  13. branch — a division
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. press — a publisher
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. present — a gift
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. present — the time now
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. press — to push

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