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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. drill — the tool
  4. kid — child
  5. can — a tin
  6. rush — hurry
  7. drill — a practice
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. ground — crushed
  13. can — to be able to
  14. kid — to tease
  15. ground — the earth
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a dance
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. can — a tin
  23. ground — a position
  24. drill — army training

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