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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cell — a phone
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. spell — letters
  7. spring — a coil
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bank — for money
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. spring — of water
  16. spell — a short time
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. cell — in biology
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bank — for money
  22. spring — the season
  23. spell — magic
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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