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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bound — certain
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bound — tied together
  8. rest — a break
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rash — a series
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bound — obliged
  16. fine — high quality
  17. branch — a division
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fine — all right
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. branch — of a tree

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