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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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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: bass · mug · scale · branch · lean · staff · land · temple

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. scale — in music
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. staff — employees
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mug — a face
  8. lean — thin
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bass — low music
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bass — the fish
  14. land — ground
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mug — a cup
  17. land — a country
  18. mug — to rob
  19. staff — employees
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. scale — size or range
  22. branch — a division
  23. land — to come down
  24. staff — a stick

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