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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cell — a phone
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. object — to protest
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. spring — a coil
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. branch — a division
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. spring — of water
  18. cell — in biology
  19. spring — the season
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — an aim
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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