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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: roll · swing · press · hide · branch · lie · scale · spell

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. press — a publisher
  3. spell — magic
  4. roll — a cake
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. roll — a list
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. press — newspapers
  9. scale — in music
  10. spell — a short time
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. swing — music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. press — to push
  18. scale — size or range
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. lie — to recline
  22. spell — letters
  23. swing — in golf
  24. scale — for weighing

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