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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: bay · shower · temple · hide · branch · band · press · face

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. shower — rain
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. branch — a division
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. face — to confront
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. band — a ring
  20. press — to push
  21. face — to point toward
  22. shower — to wash
  23. band — a music group
  24. press — a publisher

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