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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: firm · capital · straw · mug · rush · press · branch · row

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. capital — money
  5. mug — to rob
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. press — to push
  8. row — a line
  9. rush — hurry
  10. press — newspapers
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. capital — a city
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. firm — steady
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. mug — a cup
  20. firm — a company
  21. row — to paddle
  22. firm — decided
  23. mug — a face
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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