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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bank — of a river
  5. field — for sport
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — a container
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cap — a lid
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bank — for money
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. can — a tin
  17. mate — a partner
  18. cap — of ice
  19. field — farmland
  20. branch — a division
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bank — for money
  23. mate — a friend
  24. field — a subject

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