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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bank — for money
  4. key — the most important part
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. object — a thing
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. object — to protest
  11. bank — for money
  12. key — for a lock
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. clip — a video
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bank — of a river
  21. key — in music
  22. suit — to fit
  23. object — an aim
  24. suit — clothes

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