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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: swing · bank · calf · press · pit · bark · shower · branch

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. swing — music
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bank — for money
  6. branch — a division
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. shower — rain
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bank — of a river
  14. press — to push
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bark — to shout
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bank — for money
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. swing — in golf
  23. press — a publisher
  24. calf — of the leg

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