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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: toast · lie · jam · mate · trunk · wake · last · branch

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mate — a friend
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mate — a partner
  9. last — final
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. lie — to recline
  16. last — to go on
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. branch — a division
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. toast — bread
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mate — to breed
  24. last — finally

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