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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bear — the animal
  4. season — of the year
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mate — a friend
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. mate — to breed
  11. swing — music
  12. season — in sport
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bank — for money
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mate — a partner
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bank — of a river
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. swing — in golf

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