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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: foot · saw · bowl · trunk · chest · branch · snap · press

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. chest — a box
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. snap — to click
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. press — to push
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. foot — a measure
  19. press — newspapers
  20. branch — a division
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. press — a publisher
  24. chest — of your body

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