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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
468
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: suit · press · bank · perch · cue · bass · branch · face

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cue — for pool
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cue — a hint
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bank — for money
  9. perch — the fish
  10. cue — a signal
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. press — to push
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bank — for money
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bass — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bank — of a river
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — part of the head
  22. suit — in cards
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. branch — a division

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