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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. land — ground
  4. bank — of a river
  5. land — to come down
  6. roll — a cake
  7. kick — in football
  8. bank — for money
  9. face — to confront
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cell — a phone
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. cell — in biology
  14. roll — a list
  15. bank — for money
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. face — to point toward
  18. land — a country
  19. rash — hasty
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rash — a series
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. face — part of the head

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