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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bass — low music
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. staff — a stick
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. staff — employees
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. sharp — clever
  14. can — a tin
  15. staff — employees
  16. stem — to come from
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bass — the fish
  19. can — a tin
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. branch — a division
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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