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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: deal · object · branch · mate · temple · staff · pound · cabinet

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. object — a thing
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mate — a partner
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mate — a friend
  10. object — to protest
  11. mate — to breed
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. object — an aim
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pound — a weight
  20. deal — to handle
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. staff — employees

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