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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · ruler · race · cap · press · deal · wake · bulb

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. cap — of ice
  5. press — newspapers
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bulb — for light
  8. deal — to handle
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — a contest
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cap — a lid
  18. race — humankind
  19. press — to push
  20. press — a publisher
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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