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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 · squash · kid · bay · patient · arm · mug

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. squash — the sport
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. mug — to rob
  12. branch — a division
  13. press — a publisher
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. press — to push
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. kid — to tease
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mug — a face
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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