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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: branch · stick · land · mine · date · lie · suit · band

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mine — for digging
  4. suit — in cards
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. land — ground
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a ring
  13. suit — clothes
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. date — the fruit
  16. suit — to fit
  17. land — a country
  18. band — a music group
  19. branch — a division
  20. land — to come down
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. branch — of a tree

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