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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. mate — a partner
  10. club — a group
  11. kid — to tease
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mate — a friend
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. kid — child
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. temple — a place of worship

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