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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 · can · press · kid · face · bay · court · tube

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. court — for sport
  3. can — to be able to
  4. tube — the underground
  5. kid — child
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. kid — to tease
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. can — a tin
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. press — a publisher
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. press — newspapers
  16. face — to confront
  17. tube — a container
  18. court — of law
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. court — of a king
  21. can — a tin
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. press — to push
  24. face — part of the head

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