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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. spring — the season
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bank — for money
  5. pit — in a race
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. spring — a coil
  9. root — of a word
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. root — the cause
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bank — of a river
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spring — of water
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bank — for money
  23. root — of a plant
  24. calf — a young animal

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