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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: press · spell · cue · sharp · wind · branch

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. spell — a short time
  3. press — a publisher
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. wind — moving air
  6. spell — letters
  7. press — newspapers
  8. cue — a hint
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. branch — a division
  13. spell — magic
  14. wind — moving air
  15. sharp — clever
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. press — to push
  18. sharp — with an edge

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