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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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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: lean · key · press · tear · wave · branch

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. lean — thin
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. key — in music
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. tear — to rip
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. key — for a lock
  13. branch — a division
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. key — the most important part
  18. branch — of a bank

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