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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. can — to be able to
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. press — a publisher
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. press — newspapers
  8. wind — moving air
  9. can — a tin
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bore — to tire
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. can — a tin
  20. chest — of your body
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. key — in music
  23. branch — a division
  24. bore — to drill

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