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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bank — of a river
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. perch — the fish
  5. chest — a box
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. face — to point toward
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. face — to confront
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. squash — the sport
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bank — for money
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bank — for money

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