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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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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: press · fall · arm · perch · branch · wave · staff · land

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fall — to drop
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. land — a country
  6. staff — a stick
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. staff — employees
  10. fall — the season
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. staff — employees
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. land — ground
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. branch — a division
  23. land — to come down
  24. press — to push

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