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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. branch — a division
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. face — to point toward
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. squash — the sport
  17. wound — an injury
  18. face — to confront
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. wound — an injury
  22. snap — to click
  23. squash — to crush
  24. face — part of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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