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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 116 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 · bore · stem · lie · march · charge · plane · mug

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. march — the month
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. mug — a face
  8. bore — to tire
  9. charge — in control
  10. bore — to drill
  11. march — music
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. branch — a division
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. charge — a price
  18. plane — a tool
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. charge — electricity
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mug — to rob
  23. lie — to recline
  24. plane — an aircraft

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