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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. march — the month
  13. content — the amount
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. content — happy
  17. press — newspapers
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. saw — the tool
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. branch — a division
  24. lie — to recline

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