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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: temple · branch · plane · clip · lie · content · board · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. clip — to cut
  3. lie — to recline
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. clip — a video
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. board — a committee
  10. content — happy
  11. pop — soda
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. board — to get on
  15. pop — to visit
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. branch — a division
  18. clip — for paper
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. content — the amount

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