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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: lean · game · bowl · staff · temple · root · band · branch

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. branch — a division
  3. root — the cause
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. root — of a word
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. lean — to bend
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. band — a ring
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. root — of a plant
  15. staff — employees
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. game — a match
  18. lean — thin
  19. game — wild animals
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. lean — to rest against

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