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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.

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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: season · rush · kick · branch · spring · press · capital · lean

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. lean — thin
  5. spring — of water
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. capital — a city
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. press — a publisher
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — in football
  12. branch — a division
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. lean — to bend
  17. spring — a coil
  18. capital — money
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. season — of the year
  21. rush — hurry
  22. season — in sport
  23. spring — the season
  24. press — to push

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