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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: rock · suit · trunk · branch · content · press · face · stand

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. face — to point toward
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. suit — to fit
  8. face — part of the head
  9. rock — a stone
  10. press — to push
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stand — to bear
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. suit — clothes
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. press — a publisher
  20. content — the amount
  21. suit — in cards
  22. content — happy
  23. face — to confront
  24. branch — a division

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