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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. stand — to bear
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. object — a thing
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. branch — a division
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. present — the time now
  11. date — the fruit
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. press — newspapers
  15. present — there
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. dip — to sink
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. press — a publisher
  23. present — a gift
  24. branch — of a tree

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