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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. suit — in cards
  3. press — newspapers
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. branch — a division
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. suit — to fit
  9. capital — a city
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. press — to push
  12. wind — moving air
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. capital — money
  18. suit — clothes
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wind — moving air
  23. press — a publisher
  24. deal — to handle

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