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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 · lie · ground · tube · roll · land · mark · mate

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. land — to come down
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. tube — a container
  7. mate — a friend
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. branch — a division
  10. land — a country
  11. roll — a cake
  12. ground — crushed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mark — a trace
  19. land — ground
  20. lie — to recline
  21. roll — a list
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mark — a grade
  24. roll — on a roll

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