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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.

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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: branch · rush · ball · fall · stick · press · firm · dip

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. fall — the season
  3. press — to push
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. firm — a company
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. fall — to drop
  8. firm — decided
  9. press — a publisher
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fall — to drop
  17. branch — a division
  18. ball — a great time
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. ball — a dance
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. branch — of a bank

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