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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: stock · calf · temple · clip · deal · bay · press · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. deal — to handle
  7. clip — to cut
  8. press — newspapers
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. clip — for paper
  14. stock — goods
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stock — shares
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. clip — a video

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