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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bank — for money
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bank — of a river
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. spring — the season
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. spring — of water
  11. bank — for money
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. spring — a coil
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. squash — to crush
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. squash — the sport
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. deal — to handle
  21. kick — in football
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. temple — side of the head

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