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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 116 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: lie · branch · file · press · racket · bulb · sharp · wound

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. file — a tool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. press — to push
  13. wound — an injury
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bulb — for light
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. file — a line of people
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. file — a document
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. press — newspapers
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lie — to recline

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