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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. content — the amount
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. lean — thin
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cue — a signal
  10. press — newspapers
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. press — to push
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. press — a publisher
  17. content — happy
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cue — a hint
  20. lean — to bend
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. branch — a division
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. net — for catching

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