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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. press — to push
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. key — for a lock
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. key — in music
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bat — the animal
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. press — a publisher
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. branch — a division
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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