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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. mate — to breed
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. branch — a division
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mate — a partner
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. face — to confront
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. staff — employees
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. staff — employees
  20. bank — of a river
  21. staff — a stick
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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