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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: press · cabinet · rush · object · branch · stick · row · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. row — a line
  7. press — a publisher
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. object — an aim
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. object — to protest
  13. suit — clothes
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rush — hurry
  16. object — a thing
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. branch — a division
  20. row — to paddle
  21. press — to push
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. suit — in cards
  24. rush — to hurry

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