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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. content — happy
  5. rash — a series
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. wound — an injury
  16. plane — a tool
  17. content — the amount
  18. rash — hasty
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. craft — a handicraft

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