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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. march — the month
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mug — to rob
  7. root — the cause
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a tool
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. spell — magic
  12. branch — a division
  13. root — of a word
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mug — a cup
  16. root — of a plant
  17. present — a gift
  18. march — music
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. spell — letters
  21. file — a document
  22. march — the month
  23. mug — a face
  24. branch — of a bank

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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