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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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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: bank · field · press · rest · lash · foot · fall · branch

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rest — what's left
  5. field — a subject
  6. bank — of a river
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rest — a break
  9. bank — for money
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bank — for money
  12. rest — what's left
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — for sport
  17. fall — the season
  18. branch — a division
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. fall — to drop
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — to push

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