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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bank — of a river
  4. suit — clothes
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bank — for money
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cold — an illness
  14. bank — for money
  15. pit — in a race
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. swing — in golf
  22. kick — in football
  23. swing — music
  24. suit — in cards

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