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

Word bank: rock · kick · pass · temple · firm · object · bank · wind

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. kick — in football
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rock — music
  5. bank — for money
  6. object — an aim
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. object — to protest
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. firm — steady
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pass — a permit
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. rock — a stone
  18. object — a thing
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. firm — a company
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bank — for money
  24. firm — decided

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