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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bank — of a river
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bank — for money
  10. rash — a series
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bank — for money
  17. row — to paddle
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — a video
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. charge — a price
  24. clip — for paper

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