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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 120 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
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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: mine · branch · sharp · lash · foot · cap · temple · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. cap — of ice
  5. field — for sport
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mine — for digging
  9. sharp — clever
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. cap — a lid
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. branch — a division
  18. field — farmland
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. foot — a measure

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