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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bulb — for light
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. branch — a division
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fork — in a road
  14. press — a publisher
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. saw — the tool
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bulb — for light
  21. race — a contest
  22. wound — an injury
  23. race — humankind
  24. cabinet — ministers

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