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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lash · cabinet · bear · branch · stand · press · content · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pop — music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. press — newspapers
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. press — a publisher
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. content — happy
  15. branch — a division
  16. stand — to bear
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pop — to visit
  21. press — to push
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bear — the animal
  24. content — the amount

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