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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. can — a tin
  3. shower — to wash
  4. ground — crushed
  5. can — a tin
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. shower — rain
  8. ground — a position
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. net — for catching
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pound — a weight
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. branch — a division
  17. ground — the earth
  18. net — in sport
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. net — after costs
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wave — with your hand

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