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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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Word bank
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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: club · straw · press · branch · saw · pass

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. press — a publisher
  5. saw — the tool
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — to push
  10. club — for dancing
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. club — a group
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. club — for golf
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — a permit
  18. branch — of a tree

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