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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bank — for money
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wake — a trail
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mark — a grade
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bank — for money
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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