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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. net — for catching
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spring — of water
  7. net — after costs
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. spring — the season
  18. net — in sport
  19. kick — in football
  20. squash — the sport
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. spring — a coil
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. squash — to crush

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