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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · bass · pit · drill · face · mate · branch · march

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. face — to confront
  4. pit — a hole
  5. face — to point toward
  6. march — music
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — army training
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. branch — a division
  15. bass — low music
  16. march — the month
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pit — in a race
  22. mate — to breed
  23. march — the month
  24. face — part of the head

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