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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cap — of ice
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bank — for money
  8. season — of the year
  9. roll — a list
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wake — a trail
  14. season — in sport
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. roll — a cake
  24. pitcher — a jug

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