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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: face · temple · fan · net · bay · branch · track · bowl

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. track — a song
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. face — part of the head
  10. net — after costs
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. face — to point toward
  13. net — for catching
  14. track — to keep track
  15. net — in sport
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. branch — a division
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. face — to confront
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. branch — of a bank

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