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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. cold — not warm
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bore — to tire
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. tube — a container
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. squash — the sport
  20. tube — the underground
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bank — for money
  24. cold — an illness

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