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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: branch · mine · fine · cell · cabinet · rest · bear · lie

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cell — in biology
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. fine — all right
  8. cell — a phone
  9. fine — high quality
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mine — for digging
  13. rest — a break
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bear — the animal

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