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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: lash · racket · temple · stand · branch · leaves · face · bowl

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stand — to bear
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. face — to confront
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. face — to point toward
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. face — part of the head
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. temple — a place of worship

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