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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. last — to go on
  7. rash — a series
  8. root — of a plant
  9. rash — hasty
  10. last — finally
  11. charge — in control
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bank — for money
  14. charge — electricity
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. charge — a price
  18. root — of a word
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. march — music
  21. root — the cause
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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