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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. row — to paddle
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. present — there
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. rock — a stone
  12. row — a line
  13. bank — for money
  14. present — a gift
  15. bank — for money
  16. present — the time now
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rock — music
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. temple — a place of worship

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