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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bore — to drill
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. root — of a word
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. branch — a division
  18. date — the fruit
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bowl — to roll

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