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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rash — hasty
  3. game — wild animals
  4. ground — the earth
  5. game — a match
  6. bank — for money
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rash — a series
  11. tube — the underground
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. can — a tin
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — rain
  16. can — a tin
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. shower — to wash
  22. ground — a position
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. tube — a container

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