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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. plane — a tool
  3. rash — a series
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bound — obliged
  8. branch — a division
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bank — for money
  14. bound — tied together
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bound — certain
  18. bank — for money
  19. rash — hasty
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. branch — of a bank
  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