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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bank — of a river
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. roll — a list
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. drill — army training
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ball — a dance
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bank — for money
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bank — for money
  18. drill — a practice
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. drill — the tool
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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