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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: cold · spell · branch · craft · hide · face · temple · bulb

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bulb — for light
  7. craft — a skill
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. branch — a division
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. spell — a short time
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. craft — boats
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spell — letters
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — to confront
  20. cold — not warm
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. face — part of the head
  24. spell — magic

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