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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.

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: key · bowl · tear · temple · track · mug · branch · saw

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mug — to rob
  5. key — for a lock
  6. branch — a division
  7. tear — from crying
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. key — in music
  10. track — to keep track
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — a cup
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. tear — from crying
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. track — a song
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. key — the most important part

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