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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 · march · nail · mark · net · spring · can

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. net — for catching
  3. can — a tin
  4. branch — a division
  5. march — the month
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mark — a trace
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. mark — a grade
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. spring — the season
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. can — a tin
  17. spring — a coil
  18. march — music
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. can — to be able to
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. march — the month

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