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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 116 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: rock · bore · wave · bat · rush · press · branch · rest

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. press — a publisher
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bore — to drill
  19. press — to push
  20. rock — music
  21. press — newspapers
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rock — to move gently

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