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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. spell — magic
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. perch — the fish
  10. race — the arms race
  11. mug — a face
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bank — for money
  15. mug — a cup
  16. row — to paddle
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bank — of a river
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — a contest
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. mug — to rob
  24. row — a line

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