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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. rest — a break
  8. bank — of a river
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bank — for money
  12. rest — what's left
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bank — for money
  18. rest — what's left
  19. snap — to click
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cell — a phone
  24. temple — a place of worship

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