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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.

Make a worksheet

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: branch · sharp · chest · lie · cap · temple · leaves · face

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cap — a hat
  3. face — to point toward
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. lie — to recline
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. sharp — clever
  10. cap — of ice
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. cap — a lid
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. face — to confront
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. face — part of the head
  24. leaves — lets stay

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