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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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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: present · branch · temple · rest · racket · root · chest · rush

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. chest — of your body
  9. root — the cause
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. present — the time now
  12. root — of a plant
  13. chest — a box
  14. rush — hurry
  15. root — of a word
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. rest — what's left
  18. present — a gift
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. chest — of your body
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. present — there
  24. racket — for tennis

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