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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: pitcher · hide · mark · nail · branch · land · face · press

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. face — to confront
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. press — a publisher
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. press — to push
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mark — a grade
  15. press — newspapers
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. face — part of the head
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. land — a country
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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