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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: file · cap · bear · press · branch · last · staff · bass

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. press — a publisher
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. press — to push
  5. bear — the animal
  6. last — finally
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. last — to go on
  9. file — a document
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. staff — employees
  14. branch — a division
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bear — the animal
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. staff — employees
  19. last — final
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bass — low music
  22. file — a tool
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bass — the fish

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