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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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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: object · land · kid · stick · plane · press · firm · branch

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. press — newspapers
  4. object — an aim
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. firm — a company
  7. kid — child
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. land — ground
  11. object — a thing
  12. land — to come down
  13. object — to protest
  14. branch — a division
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. firm — decided
  19. press — to push
  20. land — a country
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. firm — steady
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. press — a publisher

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