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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 · lie · hide · date · pit · mug · key · hand

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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 bank
  2. lie — to recline
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. key — for a lock
  6. hand — in cards
  7. branch — a division
  8. key — in music
  9. mug — a face
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. key — the most important part
  12. hand — help
  13. date — the fruit
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pit — in a race
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mug — to rob
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mug — a cup
  23. pit — a hole
  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