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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cabinet · branch · field · temple · straw · leaves · court · can

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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 — ministers
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. court — of law
  10. branch — a division
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. court — for sport
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. court — of a king
  24. field — for sport

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