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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: press · bay · bound · present · straw · nail · degree · branch

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. present — there
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. press — newspapers
  6. branch — a division
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — temperature
  9. present — a gift
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. degree — an amount
  12. press — to push
  13. present — the time now
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bound — tied together
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — certain
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. press — a publisher
  24. straw — a straw man

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