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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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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 · trunk · race · mark · branch · lash · lie · cue

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. press — to push
  4. race — humankind
  5. cue — for pool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cue — a hint
  8. press — a publisher
  9. lie — to recline
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mark — a trace
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cue — a signal
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mark — a grade
  20. press — newspapers
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — the arms race

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