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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. chest — of your body
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. chest — a box
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. chest — of your body
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. mug — to rob
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup

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