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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bank — for money
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pass — a permit
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. cold — not warm
  19. stem — to come from
  20. cold — an illness
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bank — for money
  24. pitcher — a jug

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