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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.

Make a worksheet

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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  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. sharp — clever
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. branch — a division
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. date — the fruit
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bear — the animal
  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