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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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. spring — of water
  2. bank — for money
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. spring — a coil
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cue — a hint
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bank — for money
  11. spring — the season
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — high quality
  14. cue — a signal
  15. spell — magic
  16. fine — all right
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. cue — for pool
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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