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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. swing — music
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. last — finally
  9. pop — music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bank — for money
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. last — final
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rest — a break
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. last — to go on
  24. rest — what's left

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