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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bank — for money
  8. bound — obliged
  9. saw — the tool
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bound — tied together
  13. game — a match
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. saw — the tool
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. coach — a trainer

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