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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: rest · face · trunk · key · temple · mate · branch · mug

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. branch — a division
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rest — what's left
  9. face — to confront
  10. mug — a cup
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mug — a face
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mug — to rob
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. mate — a friend
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. key — in music

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