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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pop — music
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pop — to visit
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. deal — to handle
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. branch — a division
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pop — soda
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. deal — an agreement

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