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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. branch — a division
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mug — a face
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. chair — a leader
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cap — a lid
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. cap — of ice
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. cap — a hat
  21. mine — for digging
  22. staff — employees
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rest — a break

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