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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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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: press · branch · rush · kick · stand · mug · lie · root

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — a publisher
  3. mug — to rob
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mug — a cup
  6. press — to push
  7. root — of a plant
  8. stand — to bear
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mug — a face
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. branch — a division
  18. rush — hurry
  19. kick — in football
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. root — of a word
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. root — the cause

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