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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rock — music
  3. press — a publisher
  4. stem — to come from
  5. kick — in football
  6. race — humankind
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mate — a partner
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. press — newspapers
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mate — to breed
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rock — a stone
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. press — to push
  24. lie — to recline

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