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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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bank — for money
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. game — a match
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. kick — in football
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. game — wild animals
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. mate — to breed
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mate — a friend

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