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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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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: rule · stick · face · branch · perch · bowl · bound · temple

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. perch — the fish
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bound — obliged
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. face — to confront
  14. bound — tied together
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rule — government
  18. bound — certain
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — a law
  23. face — to point toward
  24. branch — a division

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