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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rash · foot · wake · season · press · chair · branch · ruler

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. press — to push
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rash — a series
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. season — in sport
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. press — newspapers
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rash — hasty
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. wake — a trail
  20. branch — a division
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. press — a publisher
  23. foot — a measure
  24. chair — a leader

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