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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pass · net · bear · press · land · lash · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. net — after costs
  4. bear — the animal
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. land — to come down
  7. net — for catching
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. net — in sport
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pass — a permit
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. press — to push
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lash — to lash out

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