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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 120 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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. foot — a measure
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bank — for money
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. current — happening now
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. field — a subject
  10. current — of water
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. current — electric
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. field — farmland
  15. mine — for digging
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — a coil
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bank — of a river
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bank — for money
  23. field — for sport
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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