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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: bear · cap · degree · branch · face · land · bank · mark

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. land — a country
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. land — to come down
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. mark — a trace
  11. land — ground
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. branch — a division
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bank — of a river
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — temperature
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bank — for money
  23. mark — a grade
  24. degree — from a university

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