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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: lash · leaves · cold · firm · press · branch · trunk · calf

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. cold — an illness
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. press — a publisher
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. press — to push
  14. cold — not warm
  15. firm — decided
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. firm — steady
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. firm — a company
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. branch — a division
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. calf — a young animal

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