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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · bore · season · branch · cue · bear · rest · face

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. face — to point toward
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. land — a country
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. land — ground
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rest — a break
  10. bear — the animal
  11. season — in sport
  12. branch — a division
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bore — to drill
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bear — the animal
  18. face — to confront
  19. cue — a signal
  20. land — to come down
  21. season — of the year
  22. face — part of the head
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cue — a hint

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