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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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Word bank
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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bank — for money
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — a thing
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. cell — in biology
  9. pass — a permit
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. mine — for digging
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bank — for money
  21. object — an aim
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. fork — in a road
  24. cell — in a prison

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