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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: mark · ball · rule · nail · branch · press · present · mate

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rule — a law
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rule — government
  5. press — newspapers
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — there
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. branch — a division
  12. press — to push
  13. mark — a grade
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ball — a dance
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mate — a friend
  19. present — a gift
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. press — a publisher

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