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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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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: can · mug · band · rule · wound · mate · branch · lean

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. rule — government
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rule — a law
  7. wound — an injury
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. band — a ring
  11. lean — thin
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. mug — a cup
  14. band — a music group
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. mug — a face
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — to bend
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. mug — to rob
  23. can — a tin
  24. branch — of a bank

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