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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bank — for money
  3. field — for sport
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. file — a document
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. field — a subject
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. file — a tool
  17. bank — for money
  18. file — a line of people
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bank — of a river
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. field — farmland
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ball — a great time

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