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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. swing — to play on
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. swing — music
  6. bank — of a river
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. swing — in golf
  9. deal — to handle
  10. land — to come down
  11. kid — child
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rock — music
  15. kid — to tease
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. land — a country
  18. bank — for money
  19. land — ground
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bank — for money
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. temple — side of the head

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