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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: date · lean · kid · jam · branch · press · ruler · mate

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. lean — to bend
  3. kid — child
  4. mate — a friend
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. press — newspapers
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. mate — to breed
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lean — thin
  21. mate — a partner
  22. kid — to tease
  23. press — to push
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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