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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. prune — to trim
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bank — for money
  14. kid — child
  15. bank — of a river
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bank — for money
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. net — after costs
  22. kid — to tease
  23. tear — to rip
  24. fork — in a road

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