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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: press · bore · pitch · rest · straw · wake · last · branch

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bore — to drill
  9. press — a publisher
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. last — finally
  12. last — to go on
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wake — a trail
  16. press — to push
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. branch — a division
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. last — final
  24. pitch — a sports field

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