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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: wake · face · branch · kick · mouse · fine · pit · press

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wake — a trail
  4. kick — in football
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. press — to push
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fine — high quality
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pit — in a race
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. press — newspapers
  24. fine — all right

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