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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · leaves · dip · bat · cue · press · wind · file

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. press — to push
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. cue — a hint
  5. file — a line of people
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. cue — a signal
  9. file — a document
  10. wind — moving air
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. dip — to sink
  13. press — a publisher
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. file — a tool
  16. cue — for pool
  17. press — newspapers
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. bat — in an idiom

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