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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: field · trunk · mark · press · squash · branch · safe · bear

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mark — a grade
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bear — the animal
  9. field — farmland
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. press — newspapers
  12. mark — a trace
  13. field — for sport
  14. squash — the sport
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. press — to push
  17. squash — to crush
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. branch — a division
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bear — the animal

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