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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
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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: face · press · straw · foot · charge · saw · branch · deal

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. press — a publisher
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. press — newspapers
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. face — to point toward
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. saw — the tool
  10. branch — a division
  11. saw — the tool
  12. foot — a measure
  13. press — to push
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. deal — to handle
  17. charge — in control
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. deal — an agreement

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