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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. fine — high quality
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bank — for money
  5. fine — all right
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bank — for money
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wake — a trail
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bank — of a river
  24. lie — to recline

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