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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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468
Word bank
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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. degree — an amount
  4. fork — in a road
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. track — a path
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. hand — in cards
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. track — a song
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. track — to keep track
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. degree — from a university
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. branch — a division
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. degree — temperature

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