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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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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 · hide · mate · pass · wound · bank

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bank — for money
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mate — a friend
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bank — of a river
  14. branch — a division
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bank — for money
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pass — to succeed

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