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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. ground — the earth
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rush — hurry
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. ground — a position
  9. stock — goods
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bank — of a river
  14. lean — thin
  15. bank — for money
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stock — shares
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. ground — crushed
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. ball — a great time
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bank — for money

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