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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: chest · branch · bound · press · fork · board · deal · spring

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. spring — of water
  4. board — to get on
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. chest — a box
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. chest — of your body
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. board — a committee
  16. bound — obliged
  17. press — to push
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bound — certain
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bound — tied together
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. deal — an agreement

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