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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. staff — employees
  4. branch — a division
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bark — to shout
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. hand — in cards
  13. staff — employees
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. tube — a container
  17. pop — soda
  18. staff — a stick
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — music
  21. tube — the underground
  22. hand — help
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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