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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 116 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: bowl · tube · press · lie · branch · hide · bank · stick

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bank — for money
  4. branch — a division
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bank — for money
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bank — of a river
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. tube — a container
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. press — to push
  17. tube — the underground
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. press — newspapers
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. press — a publisher

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