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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. kid — child
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. branch — a division
  7. pass — a permit
  8. kid — to tease
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. band — a music group
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. band — a ring
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bowl — a football final

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