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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: trunk · coach · branch · spell · press · rest · key · net

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. key — in music
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. net — after costs
  5. branch — a division
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. press — to push
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spell — letters
  11. net — for catching
  12. key — for a lock
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. key — the most important part
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spell — a short time
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rest — a break
  20. spell — magic
  21. rest — what's left
  22. press — a publisher
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. net — in sport

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