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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rest — a break
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. suit — clothes
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. suit — to fit
  10. branch — a division
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. suit — in cards
  13. cell — in biology
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rest — what's left
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. cell — a phone
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rest — what's left
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. straw — a straw man

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