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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. kick — in football
  7. bank — for money
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. clip — a video
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. march — the month
  13. rock — music
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bulb — for light
  16. clip — for paper
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bank — for money
  19. march — music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. march — the month
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bank — of a river
  24. clip — to cut

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