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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. net — after costs
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bank — for money
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. net — in sport
  15. plane — a tool
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. net — for catching
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bank — for money
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. mouse — for a computer

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