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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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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: suit · bat · arm · branch · rest · temple · bear · prune

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. suit — in cards
  5. prune — to trim
  6. suit — clothes
  7. rest — what's left
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. suit — to fit
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rest — a break
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. branch — a division
  23. prune — to trim
  24. arm — part of the body

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