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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: bank · craft · branch · mate · face · ground · spell · lean

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. ground — crushed
  3. spell — letters
  4. face — part of the head
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. face — to confront
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. spell — a short time
  14. ground — the earth
  15. mate — a friend
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mate — a partner
  18. spell — magic
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bank — of a river
  21. ground — a position
  22. face — to point toward
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a skill

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