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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: bass · temple · bulb · branch · mug · cell · game · mine

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. game — a match
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mug — a face
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bulb — for light
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bulb — for light
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. branch — a division
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. game — wild animals
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. cell — in biology
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bass — low music
  24. mug — to rob

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