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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: press · leaves · chair · branch · bass · rock · nail · tube

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. press — a publisher
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. branch — a division
  12. chair — a leader
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rock — music
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rock — a stone
  17. tube — a container
  18. press — to push
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. leaves — to go away

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