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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: ruler · suit · kid · branch · hide · pitcher · bark · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. kid — child
  4. suit — clothes
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. suit — to fit
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. branch — a division
  20. bark — to shout
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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