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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: key · fork · plane · chest · saw · tube · press · branch

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. press — a publisher
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. branch — a division
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. tube — the underground
  12. chest — of your body
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. key — for a lock
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. chest — a box
  18. key — the most important part
  19. chest — of your body
  20. press — newspapers
  21. saw — the tool
  22. tube — a container
  23. key — in music
  24. press — to push

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