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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. face — part of the head
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. shower — to wash
  7. object — a thing
  8. court — of law
  9. shower — rain
  10. face — to point toward
  11. game — a match
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bank — for money
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. game — wild animals
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. court — for sport
  19. face — to confront
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. object — an aim
  23. court — of a king
  24. chip — for betting

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