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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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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: jam · leaves · pop · press · rule · calf · fall · branch

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. fall — the season
  4. branch — a division
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fall — to drop
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. fall — to drop
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pop — music
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. pop — to visit
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. rule — a law
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. rule — government
  22. press — a publisher
  23. pop — soda
  24. press — to push

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