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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.

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: can · chest · mate · bank · cap · march · branch · mine

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. cap — of ice
  3. chest — a box
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. cap — a lid
  6. mine — for digging
  7. march — the month
  8. bank — for money
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cap — a hat
  12. can — a tin
  13. chest — of your body
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. march — the month
  17. can — a tin
  18. bank — for money
  19. mate — to breed
  20. branch — a division
  21. bank — of a river
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mate — a partner
  24. march — music

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