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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bank — for money
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. hand — help
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. roll — a cake
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bank — of a river
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bank — for money
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. jam — a tight spot

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