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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bear — the animal
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. season — in sport
  5. chest — a box
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. bound — obliged
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bank — of a river
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rock — music
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. shower — rain
  22. season — of the year
  23. chest — of your body
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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