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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: temple · capital · leaves · fork · branch · drill · wake · stand

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fork — in a road
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. drill — a practice
  5. wake — a trail
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. branch — a division
  8. stand — to bear
  9. drill — army training
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. drill — the tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. capital — a city
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. capital — money
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. stand — for spectators

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