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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 · bank · bulb · press · hand · rush · nail · march

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bank — for money
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. march — the month
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bank — of a river
  12. branch — a division
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bulb — for light
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bank — for money
  19. press — a publisher
  20. march — music
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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