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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 120 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: root · branch · lie · firm · racket · tear · march · temple

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. firm — a company
  6. root — of a word
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. branch — a division
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. root — of a plant
  13. march — music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. tear — from crying
  18. root — the cause
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. march — the month
  23. firm — decided
  24. march — the month

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