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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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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 · stem · face · ruler · branch · bank · tear · net

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. net — in sport
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bank — of a river
  5. tear — to rip
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bank — for money
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bank — for money
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mate — to breed
  13. branch — a division
  14. net — for catching
  15. face — to confront
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stem — to come from
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. face — to point toward
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mate — a partner
  23. tear — from crying
  24. net — after costs

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