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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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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: temple · snap · wake · branch · staff · stick · squash · press

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. branch — a division
  3. snap — to click
  4. press — newspapers
  5. squash — to crush
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. squash — the sport
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. press — to push
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. staff — employees
  17. press — a publisher
  18. staff — a stick
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. staff — employees

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