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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: roll · branch · bore · press · tube · suit · fall · sharp

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bore — to tire
  3. suit — in cards
  4. press — a publisher
  5. fall — the season
  6. roll — a cake
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. suit — to fit
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. fall — to drop
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. press — newspapers
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a list
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. sharp — clever
  18. branch — a division
  19. tube — the underground
  20. suit — clothes
  21. press — to push
  22. tube — a container
  23. bore — to drill
  24. branch — 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