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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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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. band — a music group
  3. capital — money
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. ground — the earth
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. object — to protest
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. ground — crushed
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. mate — to breed
  16. ground — a position
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. band — a ring
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. capital — a city
  21. branch — a division
  22. object — an aim
  23. mate — a partner
  24. object — a thing

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