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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · mug · kid · pop · lie · net

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pop — music
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. net — after costs
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mug — a face
  9. pop — soda
  10. mug — a cup
  11. lie — to recline
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pop — to visit
  14. net — for catching
  15. mug — to rob
  16. net — in sport
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — to tease

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