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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. branch — a division
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — money
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bass — the fish
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bank — for money
  14. saw — the tool
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bank — for money
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bass — low music
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. saw — the tool

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