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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. lie — to recline
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bat — the animal
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. court — for sport
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. branch — a division
  14. court — of a king
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pass — a permit
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. press — to push
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. court — of law
  24. calf — of the leg

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