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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bark · temple · spell · bear · object · march · wake · branch

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. march — the month
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. march — the month
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. branch — a division
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. object — to protest
  14. march — music
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bear — the animal
  17. spell — magic
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bark — to shout
  21. spell — letters
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — an aim
  24. wake — a trail

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