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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lie — to recline
  4. net — in sport
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. content — happy
  8. land — a country
  9. bank — of a river
  10. content — the amount
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. land — ground
  13. bank — for money
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. land — to come down
  16. bank — for money
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. net — for catching
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. net — after costs

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