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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: deal · firm · stick · snap · press · leaves · pitcher · branch

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. press — newspapers
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. press — to push
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. deal — to handle
  16. press — a publisher
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. branch — a division
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. leaves — to go away

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