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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bound — tied together
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bound — certain
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bark — to shout
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — of a word
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. branch — a division
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — in an idiom

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