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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: lie · clip · bulb · season · branch · nail · ball · press

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. press — to push
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. ball — a dance
  7. season — of the year
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. branch — a division
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. clip — to cut
  16. ball — a great time
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bulb — for light
  19. season — in sport
  20. clip — a video
  21. lie — to recline
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. nail — for a hammer

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