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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 124 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. ball — a dance
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. branch — a division
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. dip — to sink
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. ball — a great time
  23. scale — in music
  24. temple — a place of worship

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