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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: bear · mate · branch · rash · pop · mark · wake · capital

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rash — hasty
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mark — a grade
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rash — a series
  14. capital — money
  15. pop — soda
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bear — the animal
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — a big letter

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