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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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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 · cabinet · temple · bowl · content · tube · branch · chest

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. chest — of your body
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — the amount
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. content — happy
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. tube — a container
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. tube — the underground
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bowl — a dish

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