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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. file — a line of people
  3. press — to push
  4. cue — a signal
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pop — soda
  7. press — newspapers
  8. cue — a hint
  9. spell — letters
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fall — the season
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. file — a tool
  15. pop — music
  16. branch — a division
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pop — to visit
  19. file — a document
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fall — to drop
  22. press — a publisher
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. spell — magic

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