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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
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: bowl · press · branch · chair · mine · rush · face · leaves

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. press — newspapers
  4. mine — for digging
  5. face — to point toward
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rush — hurry
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. press — to push
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. face — part of the head
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. chair — a leader
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. branch — a division

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