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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. file — a tool
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rash — a series
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. ball — a dance
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. file — a line of people
  9. scale — in music
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. scale — size or range
  16. file — a document
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bore — to drill
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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