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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: branch · hide · fan · press · pit · squash

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pit — a hole
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. press — a publisher
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. pit — in a race
  15. branch — a division
  16. squash — the sport
  17. hide — animal skin
  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