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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
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 · face · bulb · squash · capital · temple · foot · lean

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. face — to point toward
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — money
  14. bulb — for light
  15. face — part of the head
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bulb — for light
  18. squash — the sport
  19. capital — a city
  20. branch — a division
  21. lean — thin
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. face — to confront
  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