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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. spell — letters
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. net — for catching
  8. drill — army training
  9. spell — magic
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. branch — a division
  12. march — music
  13. net — after costs
  14. cue — a hint
  15. spell — a short time
  16. net — in sport
  17. plane — a tool
  18. march — the month
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. cue — for pool
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. cue — a signal
  24. temple — side of the head

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