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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
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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: fan · content · bark · branch · foot · row · suit · temple

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. foot — a measure
  8. suit — to fit
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. content — happy
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. suit — in cards
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. suit — clothes
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a line
  21. content — the amount
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bark — to shout
  24. branch — a division

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