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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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 — side of the head
  2. rock — music
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. squash — the sport
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bank — for money
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. spring — the season
  10. squash — to crush
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. spring — a coil
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bank — for money
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. spring — of water
  23. key — the most important part
  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