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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: stem · wake · firm · roll · key · press · branch · drill

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. firm — decided
  3. press — newspapers
  4. firm — a company
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. branch — a division
  9. drill — a practice
  10. press — a publisher
  11. key — in music
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. stem — to come from
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. press — to push
  18. drill — army training
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. drill — the tool
  21. key — the most important part
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. firm — steady
  24. roll — a list

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