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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 · bore · saw · mate · lie · jam · capital · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. mate — a partner
  5. capital — a city
  6. mate — a friend
  7. saw — the tool
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bore — to drill
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — to confront
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bore — to tire
  21. capital — money
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a tree

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