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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. swing — in golf
  6. press — to push
  7. toast — bread
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. file — a tool
  15. branch — a division
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. dip — to sink
  18. file — a document
  19. swing — music
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. press — newspapers
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pass — a permit
  24. file — a line of people

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