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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. roll — a cake
  6. roll — a list
  7. branch — a division
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. fall — the season
  13. pitch — completely
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. court — for sport
  18. fall — to drop
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fall — to drop
  22. court — of law
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. court — of a king

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