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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bat — the animal
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bound — certain
  10. band — a ring
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. band — a music group
  13. bound — obliged
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bank — for money
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bound — tied together
  19. ball — a great time
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. ball — a dance

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