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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. branch — a division
  3. mate — a friend
  4. scale — in music
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. sharp — clever
  10. saw — the tool
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. march — the month
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mate — a partner
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. scale — size or range
  22. toast — bread
  23. lie — to recline
  24. branch — of a tree

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