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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: mate · wake · present · stick · branch · temple · bulb · mine

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. present — the time now
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mine — for digging
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. present — there
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. present — a gift
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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