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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. roll — a list
  4. branch — a division
  5. roll — a cake
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. suit — to fit
  9. season — of the year
  10. suit — in cards
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. suit — clothes
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. game — a match
  18. shower — rain
  19. season — in sport
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. shower — to wash
  22. game — wild animals
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. branch — of a bank

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