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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 · bat · straw · wave · track · press · last · present

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. press — newspapers
  3. present — a gift
  4. track — a path
  5. last — to go on
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. track — to keep track
  8. branch — a division
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. last — final
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bat — the animal
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. last — finally
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. press — to push
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. press — a publisher
  23. track — a song
  24. bat — in an idiom

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