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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. present — there
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — a subject
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. press — newspapers
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bass — low music
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. press — to push
  14. present — the time now
  15. bass — the fish
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rush — hurry
  18. present — a gift
  19. press — a publisher
  20. branch — a division
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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