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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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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: rule · fork · firm · temple · branch · stem · bay · chair

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rule — a law
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. firm — a company
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. stem — to come from
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady
  19. rule — government
  20. fork — in a road
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. branch — a division

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