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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: face · prune · court · press · deal · leaves · staff · branch

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. press — a publisher
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. press — newspapers
  14. court — of law
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. court — of a king
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. face — to point toward
  20. deal — to handle
  21. prune — to trim
  22. press — to push
  23. prune — to trim
  24. court — for sport

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