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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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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 · coach · fork · press · ruler · fall

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — to push
  10. fall — the season
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. press — a publisher
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring

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