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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. kick — in football
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stock — shares
  6. pop — to visit
  7. tube — a container
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pop — music
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. stock — goods
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. tube — the underground
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mate — to breed
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pop — soda

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