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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: row · firm · spring · branch · temple · present · bay · field

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. row — a line
  3. field — for sport
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. present — the time now
  13. field — a subject
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. firm — decided
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. present — there
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. firm — steady
  20. field — farmland
  21. branch — a division
  22. firm — a company
  23. row — to paddle
  24. spring — a coil

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