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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: face · hide · branch · present · game · trunk · mate · drill

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mate — a friend
  5. branch — a division
  6. present — there
  7. present — the time now
  8. mate — to breed
  9. game — wild animals
  10. drill — the tool
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. face — to point toward
  13. drill — a practice
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. game — a match
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. face — part of the head
  19. mate — a partner
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. face — to confront
  22. drill — army training
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. present — a gift

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