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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: net · spring · branch · staff · court · press · dip · leaves

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. court — of a king
  3. dip — to sink
  4. press — newspapers
  5. spring — of water
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. spring — the season
  9. net — in sport
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — to push
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. staff — a stick
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. spring — a coil
  17. staff — employees
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. branch — a division
  21. court — of law
  22. staff — employees
  23. court — for sport
  24. branch — of a tree

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