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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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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: bank · rush · temple · lie · court · sharp · pass · nail

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bank — of a river
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. court — for sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. court — of law
  14. bank — for money
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rush — hurry
  20. court — of a king
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bank — for money

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