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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bank — for money
  3. lie — to recline
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bank — of a river
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bank — for money
  24. lash — an eyelash

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