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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. plane — a tool
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. march — music
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bank — of a river
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. branch — a division
  12. march — the month
  13. prune — to trim
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. stem — to come from
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. march — the month
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bank — for money
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bank — for money
  24. stem — a stem cell

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