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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: bound · face · branch · rush · press · scale · last · foot

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. press — a publisher
  3. foot — a measure
  4. face — to point toward
  5. scale — size or range
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. face — part of the head
  8. press — newspapers
  9. branch — a division
  10. bound — obliged
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. last — to go on
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. last — finally
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. rush — hurry
  17. scale — in music
  18. press — to push
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. face — to confront
  21. bound — tied together
  22. last — final
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bound — certain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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