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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. game — wild animals
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. toast — bread
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. march — the month
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. club — for dancing
  12. march — the month
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. branch — a division
  17. deal — to handle
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. march — music
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. lie — to recline
  22. game — a match
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — a big deal

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