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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: lie · deal · foot · branch · press · court · wind · bowl

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. foot — a measure
  7. branch — a division
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. wind — moving air
  12. press — to push
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. press — a publisher
  18. deal — to handle
  19. court — of a king
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. court — for sport
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. court — of law

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