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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 120 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: face · branch · pit · file · bat · temple · dip · bank

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. face — to point toward
  3. file — a document
  4. pit — in a race
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bank — of a river
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bat — the animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. file — a tool
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bank — for money
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bank — for money
  21. branch — a division
  22. pit — a hole
  23. face — to confront
  24. file — a line of people

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