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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: season · branch · ground · temple · staff · leaves · tube · bear

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. tube — a container
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. ground — a position
  6. season — of the year
  7. ground — the earth
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. tube — the underground
  12. season — in sport
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. staff — employees
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. ground — crushed

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