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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: hide · last · branch · cabinet · march · press · bore · kick

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. last — to go on
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bore — to tire
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bore — to drill
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — to push
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. last — finally
  20. press — newspapers
  21. march — the month
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. branch — a division
  24. last — final

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