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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bank — for money
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. ball — a great time
  5. club — for golf
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. last — final
  10. club — a group
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. club — for dancing
  13. fall — to drop
  14. last — finally
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. fall — the season
  18. last — to go on
  19. fall — to drop
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ball — a dance

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