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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. last — final
  3. last — to go on
  4. court — of a king
  5. last — finally
  6. mug — to rob
  7. court — for sport
  8. branch — a division
  9. craft — boats
  10. mug — a cup
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bound — certain
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. craft — a skill
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. court — of law
  18. mug — a face
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. face — to confront
  21. bound — obliged
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bound — tied together
  24. face — part of the head

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