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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: mark · cell · branch · tube · kid · lie · cap · pound

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. tube — the underground
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pound — a weight
  8. branch — a division
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — child
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cell — a phone
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cell — in biology
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — a grade
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. lie — an untruth

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