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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 120 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. press — to push
  7. branch — a division
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. firm — decided
  10. press — a publisher
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. firm — a company
  15. stem — to come from
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. spell — letters
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. spell — magic
  21. firm — steady
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. spell — a short time
  24. press — newspapers

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