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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. prune — to trim
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. branch — a division
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. squash — the sport
  10. prune — to trim
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. fine — all right
  13. rest — a break
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fine — high quality
  16. saw — the tool
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rest — what's left
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rest — what's left
  24. saw — the tool

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