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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 120 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: press · bass · bore · branch · fork · cap · band · last

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bass — low music
  3. bore — to drill
  4. last — final
  5. bore — to tire
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. press — to push
  9. bass — the fish
  10. band — a ring
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. press — a publisher
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. cap — of ice
  15. fork — in a road
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. last — finally
  19. last — to go on
  20. band — a music group
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. cap — a lid
  24. branch — a division

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