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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. spell — a short time
  3. file — a tool
  4. press — newspapers
  5. mug — a cup
  6. board — to get on
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. season — of the year
  9. file — a document
  10. branch — a division
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — to push
  13. spell — magic
  14. mug — to rob
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. file — a line of people
  23. spell — letters
  24. season — in sport

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