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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: last · mouse · drill · temple · prune · net · bay · branch

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. branch — a division
  3. last — final
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. last — finally
  6. drill — the tool
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. drill — army training
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — in sport
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. last — to go on
  24. branch — of a bank

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