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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. The water is too ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. cold — not warm
  3. press — to push
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. plane — a tool
  7. press — a publisher
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. hand — in cards
  15. branch — a division
  16. cold — an illness
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. hand — help
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. press — newspapers

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