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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: sharp · rule · wound · mark · mate · leaves · branch · track

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. rule — government
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rule — a law
  15. track — a path
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. track — a song
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mate — a partner
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. track — to keep track

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