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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
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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: wake · stem · branch · content · lean · date · press · racket

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. content — the amount
  6. lean — thin
  7. branch — a division
  8. press — to push
  9. content — happy
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. stem — to come from
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. lean — to bend
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. press — a publisher
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. date — the fruit
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. wake — a trail
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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