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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · roll · press · safe · hand · trunk · lash · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. roll — a list
  7. hand — help
  8. press — to push
  9. hand — in cards
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. press — newspapers
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. press — a publisher
  21. branch — a division
  22. roll — a cake
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. trunk — 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