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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: row · leaves · temple · firm · branch · cell · season · club

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. cell — in biology
  6. branch — a division
  7. row — to paddle
  8. firm — a company
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. season — of the year
  11. row — a line
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. firm — decided
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. cell — a phone
  20. season — in sport
  21. firm — steady
  22. club — for dancing
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. branch — of a bank

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