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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. staff — employees
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bank — for money
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. staff — a stick
  9. kick — in football
  10. bank — for money
  11. tube — a container
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bank — of a river
  14. staff — employees
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. chip — for betting
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mine — for digging
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. tube — the underground
  21. chip — to eat
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mine — an explosive

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