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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: wake · mate · lie · branch · hand · leaves · cabinet · pitcher

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mate — a partner
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. hand — help
  8. branch — a division
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wake — a trail
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mate — to breed
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pitcher — a jug

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