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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: ball · bank · stand · press · bass · wound · branch · straw

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bass — low music
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bank — for money
  14. ball — a dance
  15. stand — to bear
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. wound — an injury
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bank — for money
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. ball — a great time
  22. press — to push
  23. press — a publisher
  24. stand — for spectators

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