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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: kick · wound · arm · stick · branch · can · press · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. can — to be able to
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. press — to push
  7. kick — in football
  8. can — a tin
  9. press — newspapers
  10. deal — to handle
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. can — a tin
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. wound — an injury
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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