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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. track — a song
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. press — newspapers
  6. stem — to come from
  7. press — a publisher
  8. track — to keep track
  9. firm — a company
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — decided
  20. squash — to crush
  21. track — a path
  22. press — to push
  23. squash — the sport
  24. stem — of a plant

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