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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 116 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: ruler · branch · season · bark · bulb · press · mate · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mate — a partner
  3. season — of the year
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. press — a publisher
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. shower — rain
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. press — to push
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. branch — a division
  14. shower — to wash
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mate — to breed
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mate — a friend
  22. season — in sport
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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