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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. plane — a tool
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. march — the month
  10. mate — a friend
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. march — music
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. march — the month
  19. branch — a division
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. temple — a place of worship

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