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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 · spring · bore · mouse · can · branch · arm · coach

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bore — to drill
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bore — to tire
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spring — of water
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. can — to be able to

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