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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bound — certain
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bound — obliged
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. net — for catching
  12. key — for a lock
  13. net — after costs
  14. key — in music
  15. net — in sport
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. stem — to come from
  20. track — a song
  21. key — the most important part
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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