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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wake — a trail
  3. net — for catching
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rule — government
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. can — a tin
  8. firm — steady
  9. press — newspapers
  10. can — to be able to
  11. net — after costs
  12. firm — decided
  13. wind — moving air
  14. firm — a company
  15. branch — a division
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rule — a law
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. press — a publisher
  23. net — in sport
  24. press — to push

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