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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. ground — a position
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ground — the earth
  6. clip — a video
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bank — for money
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lie — to recline
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — a measure
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. clip — for paper
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bank — of a river
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. ground — crushed
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. foot — part of the body

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