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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bank — for money
  4. rash — a series
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rash — hasty
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. staff — a stick
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ground — the earth
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. ground — a position
  15. staff — employees
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. staff — employees
  19. kick — in football
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bank — of a river
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mine — for digging
  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