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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. track — to keep track
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. track — a path
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. track — a song
  8. degree — temperature
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — a law
  15. lean — thin
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — from a university
  18. tear — from crying
  19. lean — to bend
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. tear — to rip

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