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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. hand — help
  3. dip — to sink
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. root — of a word
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. root — the cause
  10. hand — in cards
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. branch — a division
  14. band — a music group
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. band — a ring
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. content — happy
  20. content — the amount
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. root — of a plant

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