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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pound — a weight
  3. march — the month
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. march — music
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. object — to protest
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bear — the animal
  13. object — a thing
  14. rash — a series
  15. object — an aim
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. rash — hasty
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. march — the month
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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