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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stick · shower · key · press · bulb · degree · lie · branch

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. press — newspapers
  3. degree — temperature
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bulb — for light
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. lie — to recline
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. press — a publisher
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bulb — for light
  20. degree — from a university
  21. branch — a division
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. press — to push
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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