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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. court — for sport
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. tube — the underground
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. court — of a king
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. rush — hurry
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. staff — employees
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. branch — a division
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. calf — a young animal
  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