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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · game · tube · prune · temple · branch

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — wild animals
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. game — a match
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. prune — to trim
  8. tube — a container
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. prune — to trim
  11. branch — a division
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. tube — the underground
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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