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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: branch · swing · season · suit · hand · present · press · lean

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. lean — thin
  3. present — the time now
  4. swing — in golf
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. present — a gift
  7. swing — music
  8. season — of the year
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. suit — to fit
  11. season — in sport
  12. lean — to bend
  13. hand — in cards
  14. press — newspapers
  15. hand — help
  16. branch — a division
  17. suit — in cards
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. press — a publisher
  20. swing — to play on
  21. press — to push
  22. present — there
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. season — to add flavour

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