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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. lean — to bend
  4. cue — a hint
  5. branch — a division
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. cue — for pool
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. lean — thin
  12. land — ground
  13. cue — a signal
  14. land — a country
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. land — to come down
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bowl — a football final

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