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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 · key · roll · hand · pop · press · object · fall

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. key — in music
  3. object — a thing
  4. pop — music
  5. object — to protest
  6. key — the most important part
  7. object — an aim
  8. key — for a lock
  9. fall — the season
  10. branch — a division
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pop — to visit
  16. press — a publisher
  17. roll — a cake
  18. hand — help
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pop — soda
  21. fall — to drop
  22. roll — a list
  23. press — to push
  24. press — newspapers

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