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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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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. branch — a division
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. game — a kind of play

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