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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 · foot · track · staff · face · branch · wake · rule

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. mate — a friend
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. staff — a stick
  5. track — a path
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. foot — a measure
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. mate — a partner
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. rule — government
  14. face — part of the head
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. wake — a trail
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rule — a law
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. track — a song
  22. mate — to breed
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. branch — of a bank

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