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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bank — for money
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. prune — to trim
  9. track — a path
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. key — for a lock
  16. track — a song
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bank — for money
  23. key — in music
  24. lash — to lash out

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