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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. bound — obliged
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — rain
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bank — for money
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. bound — tied together
  13. shower — to wash
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. squash — to crush
  18. dip — to sink
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bound — certain

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