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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. spring — of water
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bat — the animal
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. spring — the season
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bore — to tire
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bore — to drill
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. branch — a division

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