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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 120 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: deal · pass · lash · press · branch · fan · degree · court

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. court — of a king
  6. degree — temperature
  7. branch — a division
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. press — a publisher
  12. court — for sport
  13. press — newspapers
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. court — of law
  17. degree — from a university
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. press — to push
  24. degree — an amount

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