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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. craft — a skill
  4. field — a subject
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rest — a break
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. field — for sport
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rest — what's left
  15. craft — boats
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. field — farmland
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. trunk — of a tree

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