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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 116 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: lean · press · capital · bore · rash · calf · branch · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. press — newspapers
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. perch — the fish
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. press — to push
  11. rash — a series
  12. capital — a city
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. branch — a division
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bore — to drill
  19. lean — to bend
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. rash — hasty
  22. capital — money
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bore — to tire

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