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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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 — of a bank
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. branch — a division
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. spring — the season
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. foot — a measure
  10. vault — a safe
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. spring — a coil
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. spring — of water
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — for dogs

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