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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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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: bowl · fall · press · capital · dip · bay · branch · wind

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. fall — to drop
  3. press — newspapers
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. capital — money
  8. fall — the season
  9. branch — a division
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. press — to push
  15. dip — to sink
  16. capital — a city
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. fall — to drop

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