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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. can — a tin
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bank — for money
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. can — a tin
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. sharp — clever
  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