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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: date · lean · pit · fine · press · season · branch · bore

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pit — a hole
  5. season — in sport
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. press — a publisher
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. fine — all right
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. season — of the year
  13. lean — to bend
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bore — to tire
  16. branch — a division
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. press — to push
  22. press — newspapers
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. lean — thin

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