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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 120 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: branch · present · drill · snap · press · ground · mate · shower

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — crushed
  4. press — a publisher
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. ground — the earth
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mate — a partner
  9. branch — a division
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. press — to push
  12. present — a gift
  13. drill — a practice
  14. present — there
  15. drill — army training
  16. shower — to wash
  17. mate — to breed
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. present — the time now
  20. shower — rain
  21. mate — a friend
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. snap — to click
  24. branch — of a tree

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