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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.

Make a worksheet

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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — a leader
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ball — a dance
  11. court — for sport
  12. bat — the animal
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. key — in music
  15. ball — a great time
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. court — of law
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. key — the most important part
  22. court — of a king
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. branch — a division

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