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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 · branch · stand · snap · sharp · capital · cue · bank

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. capital — money
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bank — for money
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. cue — a hint
  8. press — to push
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. capital — a city
  11. press — a publisher
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bank — of a river
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bank — for money
  18. stand — to bear
  19. cue — for pool
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. snap — to click
  22. sharp — clever
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. cue — a signal

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