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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. object — to protest
  3. hand — in cards
  4. branch — a division
  5. firm — a company
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — an aim
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. firm — decided
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. rock — a stone
  14. track — a path
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. firm — steady
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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