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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. ball — a dance
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. root — of a plant
  7. branch — a division
  8. fall — to drop
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pop — soda
  13. fall — the season
  14. mug — to rob
  15. root — of a word
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pop — music
  19. root — the cause
  20. mug — a cup
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mug — a face
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pop — to visit

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