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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · rest · temple · bound · mug · branch

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mug — a face
  5. bound — certain
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. field — for sport
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — to rob
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rest — a break
  12. bound — obliged
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. field — farmland
  15. rest — what's left
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bound — tied together
  18. rest — what's left

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