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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: hide · kid · temple · branch · pitcher · bear · season · stem

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. stem — to come from
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — child
  5. season — of the year
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. branch — a division
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. season — in sport
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. hide — to keep secret

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