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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: row · face · kick · shower · branch · can · press · court

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. court — of a king
  3. branch — a division
  4. face — to confront
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. face — to point toward
  7. row — a line
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. can — to be able to
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. shower — to wash
  14. can — a tin
  15. press — to push
  16. face — part of the head
  17. press — a publisher
  18. can — a tin
  19. court — of law
  20. row — to paddle
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. court — for sport

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