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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. net — after costs
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bank — for money
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. net — in sport
  12. track — a path
  13. pit — in a race
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. deal — to handle
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pit — a hole
  23. wound — an injury
  24. net — for catching

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