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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: bay · spring · press · mark · branch · suit · rush · shower

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. rush — hurry
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. press — a publisher
  10. shower — rain
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. shower — to wash
  13. branch — a division
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. spring — the season
  16. mark — a trace
  17. suit — in cards
  18. spring — of water
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. suit — to fit
  21. mark — a grade
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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