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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 · pound · bay · lash · mate · date · bank · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mate — a partner
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. branch — a division
  7. pound — a weight
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cap — a lid
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bank — for money
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bank — for money

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