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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. tube — the underground
  7. branch — a division
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. stand — to bear
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. stock — goods
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stock — shares
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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