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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bound — certain
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bound — obliged
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bound — tied together
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stand — to bear
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. branch — a division
  22. mark — a trace
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wound — an injury

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