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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. mate — a partner
  3. ground — a position
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bank — for money
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. band — a ring
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. band — a music group
  11. ground — crushed
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bank — of a river
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bank — for money
  18. mate — a friend
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mate — to breed
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — to sink
  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