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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. branch — a division
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bore — to drill
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mug — to rob
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bass — low music
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mug — a cup
  17. content — happy
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bass — the fish
  21. squash — the sport
  22. wake — a trail
  23. content — the amount
  24. mug — a face

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