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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bank — of a river
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bank — for money
  6. cell — in biology
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. mate — a partner
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bank — for money
  14. mate — to breed
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fork — in a road
  17. cell — a phone
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. mate — a friend
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. lie — to recline

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