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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mug — a cup
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bank — for money
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bank — for money
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a face
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rash — a series
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. kid — child
  20. roll — a list
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. rash — hasty
  24. roll — a cake

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