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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bank — for money
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pit — a hole
  6. press — newspapers
  7. net — in sport
  8. spell — magic
  9. pit — in a race
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. press — to push
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. row — a line
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. net — after costs
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. temple — side of the head

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