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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. board — to get on
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rest — a break
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. content — happy
  13. pound — a weight
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. press — newspapers
  19. board — a committee
  20. pass — a permit
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — the amount
  24. rest — what's left

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