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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
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: cabinet · board · rest · branch · temple · face · roll · bat

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. face — to point toward
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. roll — a list
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. rest — a break
  9. face — to confront
  10. board — a committee
  11. roll — a cake
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bat — the animal
  14. face — part of the head
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. board — to get on
  20. branch — a division
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rest — what's left
  24. temple — a place of worship

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