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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: press · rash · last · temple · branch · march · calf · ruler

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. press — to push
  4. branch — a division
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. march — the month
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. last — final
  9. last — to go on
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. last — finally
  12. press — a publisher
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rash — a series
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. march — the month
  18. rash — hasty
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. march — music
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. press — newspapers

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