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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.

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: cell · sharp · branch · plane · fine · stock · press · bark

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bark — to shout
  3. press — a publisher
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. cell — in biology
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fine — all right
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. sharp — clever
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. branch — a division
  18. cell — a phone
  19. stock — shares
  20. plane — a tool
  21. stock — goods
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. press — to push

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