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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. drill — army training
  3. kid — to tease
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. prune — to trim
  8. present — the time now
  9. tube — the underground
  10. present — there
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. kid — child
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. tube — a container
  20. present — a gift
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bank — for money
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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