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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: pass · temple · chip · face · bear · march · branch · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pass — a permit
  4. chip — to eat
  5. march — the month
  6. face — to point toward
  7. march — the month
  8. branch — a division
  9. chip — for betting
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. face — part of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. face — to confront
  17. march — music
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. net — after costs
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. net — in sport
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bear — the animal

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