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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bank — of a river
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lean — to bend
  11. spring — of water
  12. suit — in cards
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. spring — the season
  15. bank — for money
  16. lean — thin
  17. perch — the fish
  18. suit — to fit
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bowl — to roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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