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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: pit · mark · shower · face · press · branch · straw · squash

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. shower — rain
  4. pit — in a race
  5. face — to confront
  6. mark — a grade
  7. branch — a division
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. pit — a hole
  11. mark — a trace
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. press — to push
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. press — a publisher
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. squash — the sport
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. shower — to wash

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