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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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a list
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. roll — a cake
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. capital — money
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. can — to be able to
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. wound — an injury
  13. can — a tin
  14. wound — an injury
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. capital — a city
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. branch — a division
  19. can — a tin
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bear — the animal
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bear — to put up with

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