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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. fall — the season
  3. can — a tin
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. press — a publisher
  6. key — the most important part
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. key — for a lock
  9. can — to be able to
  10. fall — to drop
  11. can — a tin
  12. branch — a division
  13. row — a line
  14. press — to push
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rush — hurry
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. row — to paddle
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. press — newspapers
  22. key — in music
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. row — a quarrel

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