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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bank — for money
  3. land — ground
  4. kick — in football
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bank — of a river
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bound — obliged
  10. land — a country
  11. spell — magic
  12. bank — for money
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bound — certain
  15. roll — a cake
  16. land — to come down
  17. pit — a hole
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. roll — a list
  24. kick — with a leg

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