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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 120 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — to crush
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bank — of a river
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mine — for digging
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bank — for money
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. cell — in biology
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. cell — a phone

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