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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. mug — to rob
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mug — a face
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. branch — a division
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. mug — a cup
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. fork — in a road
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. field — for sport
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to sink
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — farmland

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