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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. squash — to crush
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — a practice
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. squash — the sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. file — a line of people
  18. can — a tin
  19. drill — the tool
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. branch — a division
  22. file — a tool
  23. march — the month
  24. file — a document

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