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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bank — of a river
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. spell — a short time
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bank — for money
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. saw — the tool
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bank — for money
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. spell — letters
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. spell — magic
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. kid — child
  24. pass — a permit

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