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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: nail · branch · press · face · spring · squash · spell · racket

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spring — the season
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. press — a publisher
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. press — newspapers
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. press — to push
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. squash — the sport
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. squash — to crush
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — of water
  23. branch — a division
  24. face — to confront

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