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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: track · branch · key · lean · shower · mate · pass · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. shower — to wash
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. lean — thin
  5. shower — rain
  6. press — to push
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. lean — to bend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mate — a friend
  14. press — a publisher
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pass — a permit
  17. track — to keep track
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. key — in music
  20. branch — a division
  21. mate — to breed
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. key — for a lock

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