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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. rest — what's left
  5. game — wild animals
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. sharp — clever
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. rest — what's left
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. spell — magic
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rest — a break
  16. bank — for money
  17. spell — letters
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. spell — a short time
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. game — a match
  23. bank — for money
  24. temple — a place of worship

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