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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. chest — a box
  3. cue — a hint
  4. chest — of your body
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — to wash
  9. present — there
  10. shower — rain
  11. bank — for money
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. chest — of your body
  15. present — the time now
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bank — for money
  18. present — a gift
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cue — a signal
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. craft — boats

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