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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: branch · pitcher · pound · lie · spell · bore · cap · face

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. spell — magic
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bore — to drill
  9. branch — a division
  10. spell — letters
  11. face — to confront
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — of ice
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. spell — a short time
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bore — to tire
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. cap — a hat
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. face — part of the head

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