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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mate — to breed
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. row — a line
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mate — a partner
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mate — a friend
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. cabinet — a cupboard

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