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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bank — for money
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. swing — in golf
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bank — for money
  14. face — to point toward
  15. pound — a weight
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. face — part of the head
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. face — to confront
  23. mug — a face
  24. bank — of a river

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