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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 120 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: branch · press · field · staff · mark · wake · bank · snap

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. press — a publisher
  3. staff — employees
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mark — a trace
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. staff — a stick
  10. press — newspapers
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. branch — a division
  14. field — a subject
  15. mark — a grade
  16. staff — employees
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. press — to push
  19. snap — to click
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. wake — before a funeral

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