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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: branch · straw · suit · temple · clip · season · rush · mate

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. mate — to breed
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mate — a friend
  5. suit — clothes
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. rush — hurry
  9. suit — in cards
  10. season — in sport
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. clip — for paper
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. season — of the year
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — to cut
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — a straw man

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