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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: branch · fine · mouse · ruler · tube · chair · press · spring

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. branch — a division
  3. press — to push
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. press — a publisher
  9. tube — the underground
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. press — newspapers
  14. fine — high quality
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. spring — of water
  24. branch — of a bank

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