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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. present — there
  3. field — farmland
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. branch — a division
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. tube — the underground
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. field — for sport
  16. present — a gift
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. present — the time now
  19. bear — the animal
  20. field — a subject
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bear — the animal

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