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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: mouse · perch · branch · mate · dip · face · temple · chip

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. face — part of the head
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. face — to point toward
  8. chip — for betting
  9. dip — to sink
  10. branch — a division
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chip — to eat
  20. mate — a friend
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. face — to confront

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