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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: cap · lean · branch · season · press · ground · pop · kick

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. lean — thin
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. cap — a lid
  5. ground — a position
  6. pop — soda
  7. press — a publisher
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. season — in sport
  13. press — to push
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. press — newspapers
  17. season — of the year
  18. pop — music
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. ground — crushed
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pop — to visit

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