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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: fan · safe · pitch · branch · press · kid · rush · lie

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. press — a publisher
  4. kid — to tease
  5. press — to push
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. branch — a division
  12. kid — child
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lie — to recline
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. press — newspapers
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. rush — hurry
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rush — to hurry

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