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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
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: branch · temple · stock · lie · band · scale · face · cell

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a music group
  7. cell — in biology
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. scale — size or range
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cell — a phone
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. scale — in music
  21. face — part of the head
  22. branch — a division
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. temple — a place of worship

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