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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: cap · spell · bark · object · club · saw · branch · temple

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. object — a thing
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. club — for dancing
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. object — to protest
  8. cap — a hat
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cap — a lid
  11. club — for golf
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. spell — magic
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. spell — letters
  18. saw — the tool
  19. object — an aim
  20. branch — a division
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. club — a group
  24. bark — to shout

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