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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.

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: ruler · lie · leaves · branch · fan · wound · present · mate

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mate — a partner
  11. branch — a division
  12. mate — a friend
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lie — to recline
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. mate — to breed
  24. wound — an injury

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