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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · wave · branch · tear · temple · stock · trunk · land

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mate — to breed
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mate — a partner
  6. land — a country
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. land — to come down
  9. tear — from crying
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stock — goods
  14. tear — to rip
  15. land — ground
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. mate — a friend
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stock — shares
  24. branch — a division

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