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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: pop · net · kick · pass · spring · temple · leaves · branch

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. spring — the season
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pop — music
  7. net — for catching
  8. spring — a coil
  9. pass — a permit
  10. net — in sport
  11. kick — in football
  12. pop — to visit
  13. net — after costs
  14. spring — of water
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pop — soda
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. temple — a place of worship

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