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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. net — after costs
  4. bear — the animal
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. sharp — clever
  8. net — in sport
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bear — the animal
  11. net — for catching
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. band — a ring
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. branch — a division
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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