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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.

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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: trunk · staff · row · branch · field · temple · saw · object

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. field — a subject
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. row — a line
  7. branch — a division
  8. object — a thing
  9. field — for sport
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. field — farmland
  18. saw — the tool
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. row — to paddle
  21. staff — employees
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. saw — the tool

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