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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: press · mark · lash · court · sharp · bowl · nail · branch

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. court — for sport
  5. branch — a division
  6. press — a publisher
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. press — to push
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. press — newspapers
  16. sharp — clever
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. court — of a king
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. court — of law
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. mark — a grade

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