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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bound — certain
  3. season — of the year
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. firm — decided
  6. swing — in golf
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — to push
  9. pound — a weight
  10. lie — to recline
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. press — newspapers
  13. branch — a division
  14. season — in sport
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. swing — music
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. firm — a company
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — to hit hard

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