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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. branch — a division
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bank — for money
  8. tube — a container
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bank — of a river
  12. game — a match
  13. wound — an injury
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. craft — a skill
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. game — wild animals
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bank — for money
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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