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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. mark — a grade
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. hand — in cards
  7. stock — goods
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. mark — a trace
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stock — shares
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. hand — help
  20. branch — a division
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. calf — a young animal

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