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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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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: chest · bay · pit · temple · patient · wax · dip · branch

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pit — a hole
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. branch — a division
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wax — to grow
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. chest — of your body
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. branch — of a bank

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