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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. cue — a hint
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bank — of a river
  8. kick — in football
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bank — for money
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bank — for money
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. firm — a company
  19. capital — a city
  20. firm — steady
  21. row — to paddle
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. row — a line
  24. temple — a place of worship

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