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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. last — final
  3. ball — a dance
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. rock — a stone
  6. last — to go on
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. last — finally
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. rock — music
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — all right
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. press — a publisher
  17. ball — a great time
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. press — to push
  20. branch — a division
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fall — the season

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