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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 120 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: branch · object · kick · chair · press · fall · plane · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. press — to push
  6. suit — clothes
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. object — an aim
  9. press — newspapers
  10. chair — a leader
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. branch — a division
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. fall — the season
  18. plane — a tool
  19. object — to protest
  20. press — a publisher
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. object — a thing
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. suit — to fit

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