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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. branch — a division
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — happy
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. season — of the year
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bore — to drill
  19. season — in sport
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bore — to tire
  23. date — the fruit
  24. season — to add flavour

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