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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. charge — in control
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. degree — from a university
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. tear — from crying
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. degree — an amount
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. charge — electricity
  17. degree — temperature
  18. pop — music
  19. bank — for money
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pop — soda
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. charge — a price
  24. pop — to visit

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