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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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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: squash · present · mate · branch · fine · press · firm · stick

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. press — a publisher
  4. fine — all right
  5. present — the time now
  6. fine — high quality
  7. branch — a division
  8. firm — a company
  9. press — newspapers
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. squash — to crush
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. squash — the sport
  21. press — to push
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. squash — the vegetable

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