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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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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 · kick · mate · land · rest · mine · staff

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. land — to come down
  4. kick — in football
  5. mate — a partner
  6. land — a country
  7. staff — employees
  8. branch — a division
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. land — ground
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mate — a friend
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. staff — a stick
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. staff — employees
  24. mug — a face

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