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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. last — finally
  3. mate — a partner
  4. last — final
  5. band — a ring
  6. mate — to breed
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. band — a music group
  9. last — to go on
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. face — to confront
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mate — a friend
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. stand — to bear
  16. face — part of the head
  17. branch — a division
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. content — happy
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. content — the amount
  24. face — to point toward

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