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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: cell · present · branch · ball · jam · drill · mate · face

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. present — there
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mate — a friend
  6. drill — army training
  7. cell — a phone
  8. mate — a partner
  9. present — the time now
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. mate — to breed
  15. ball — a great time
  16. face — to confront
  17. present — a gift
  18. face — to point toward
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. drill — the tool
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. ball — a dance
  24. drill — a practice

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