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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 120 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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. perch — the fish
  3. press — to push
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. object — a thing
  6. mark — a grade
  7. stock — shares
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. press — newspapers
  10. object — to protest
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. chest — a box
  13. branch — a division
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. chest — of your body
  17. object — an aim
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. mark — a trace
  24. press — a publisher

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