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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. craft — a skill
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mark — a trace
  6. craft — boats
  7. bank — for money
  8. spell — letters
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. spell — magic
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. charge — a price
  14. sharp — clever
  15. spell — a short time
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. net — after costs
  18. mark — a grade
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. bank — of a river
  22. charge — in control
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. charge — electricity

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