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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bank — of a river
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bank — for money
  9. chest — of your body
  10. can — to be able to
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. lean — to bend
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. chest — a box
  17. lean — thin
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. can — a tin
  20. plane — a tool
  21. toast — bread
  22. chest — of your body
  23. can — a tin
  24. bank — for money

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