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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
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: kick · scale · nail · temple · foot · branch · drill · hide

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. drill — a practice
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. foot — a measure
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. drill — army training
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. branch — a division
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. scale — size or range
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. drill — the tool
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — in football

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