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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: branch · wake · bulb · temple · cap · stick · chest · mouse

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. branch — a division
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. chest — a box
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wake — a trail
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bulb — for light

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