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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · mate · bank · wave · fork · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bank — for money
  5. mate — to breed
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — a friend
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bank — for money
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bank — of a river
  14. cell — in biology
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. cell — a phone
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fork — a garden tool

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