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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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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: mug · lie · tube · face · wake · drill · branch · calf

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. mug — a cup
  3. branch — a division
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wake — a trail
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mug — to rob
  10. face — to confront
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. tube — the underground
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. mug — a face
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. face — to point toward
  22. drill — army training
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. face — part of the head

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