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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: rush · hand · bore · branch · land · bay · cabinet · press

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. press — to push
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bore — to tire
  9. land — to come down
  10. branch — a division
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. land — ground
  19. press — newspapers
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. land — a country
  23. hand — help
  24. rush — hurry

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