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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. shower — rain
  3. press — newspapers
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. current — happening now
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. current — of water
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. current — electric
  11. press — a publisher
  12. tube — a container
  13. chip — for betting
  14. row — a line
  15. shower — to wash
  16. chip — to eat
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. ball — a great time
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. row — to paddle
  21. tube — the underground
  22. press — to push
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. row — a quarrel

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