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

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. foot — a measure
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. shower — rain
  8. bank — for money
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. spell — magic
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. spell — letters
  15. bank — of a river
  16. spell — a short time
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. plane — a tool
  20. shower — to wash
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bank — for money
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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