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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. dip — to sink
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bank — of a river
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bound — obliged
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. scale — in music
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bound — tied together
  12. saw — the tool
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bank — for money
  18. bound — certain
  19. scale — size or range
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. temple — side of the head
  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