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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 116 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: branch · squash · rule · lean · present · row · press · mine

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. lean — thin
  4. rule — a law
  5. branch — a division
  6. mine — for digging
  7. squash — to crush
  8. row — to paddle
  9. present — the time now
  10. press — a publisher
  11. present — a gift
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. press — to push
  15. present — there
  16. row — a line
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. lean — to bend
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. squash — the sport
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rule — government

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