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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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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: branch · pit · kick · bulb · firm · temple · track · wind

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. track — a song
  6. pit — in a race
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. branch — a division
  9. kick — in football
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — a company
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bulb — for light
  14. track — a path
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wind — moving air
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. firm — steady
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pit — a hole
  22. wind — moving air
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — with a leg

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