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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: field · mug · dip · press · land · branch · rush · nail

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. land — a country
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. branch — a division
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. field — a subject
  8. press — to push
  9. land — ground
  10. field — farmland
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. field — for sport
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — to rob
  17. press — a publisher
  18. land — to come down
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. dip — to sink
  24. mug — a cup

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