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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: game · capital · branch · rock · temple · shower · stem · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  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. face — part of the head
  2. stem — to come from
  3. shower — rain
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. game — a match
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. shower — to wash
  11. face — to confront
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. game — wild animals
  14. rock — music
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. capital — a city
  20. face — to point toward
  21. capital — money
  22. branch — a division
  23. rock — a stone
  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