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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: pass · racket · face · press · branch · land · patient · sharp

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. face — to point toward
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pass — a permit
  8. land — to come down
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. land — ground
  12. press — to push
  13. branch — a division
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. press — a publisher
  17. land — a country
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. press — newspapers
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to confront

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