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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 120 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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wake — a trail
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. branch — a division
  7. fall — the season
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. staff — a stick
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. fork — in a road
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. vault — a safe
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. key — for a lock
  24. fall — to drop

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