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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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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 · press · firm · key · face · branch · bear · cap

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. firm — a company
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. cap — of ice
  5. face — to confront
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. firm — decided
  15. press — a publisher
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bear — the animal
  18. firm — steady
  19. cap — a hat
  20. branch — a division
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. key — in music

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