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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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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: temple · last · hand · kid · cabinet · branch

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. branch — a division
  9. last — finally
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. hand — in cards
  13. last — to go on
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. hand — help
  17. last — final
  18. kid — child

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