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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bank — for money
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. can — a tin
  5. foot — a measure
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bound — obliged
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bound — certain
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bat — the animal
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bank — for money
  18. roll — a cake
  19. can — to be able to
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bank — of a river
  23. roll — a list
  24. can — a tin

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