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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. last — to go on
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bound — certain
  7. bank — for money
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. content — happy
  10. bound — tied together
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. last — finally
  13. content — the amount
  14. last — final
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bound — obliged
  18. 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