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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: craft · track · mine · stand · bat · branch · temple · lean

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. lean — to bend
  3. track — a song
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. stand — to bear
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. track — to keep track
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. branch — a division
  15. bat — the animal
  16. craft — a skill
  17. lean — thin
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. craft — boats
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. temple — side of the head

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