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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.

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: racket · branch · squash · temple · dip · lie · object · bound

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lie — to recline
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bound — certain
  8. object — to protest
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. object — an aim
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. branch — a division
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. object — a thing
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. lie — an untruth

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