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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: deal · bank · mine · date · tear · cue · temple · rock

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rock — music
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bank — for money
  5. rock — a stone
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bank — of a river
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. tear — to rip
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mine — for digging
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. tear — from crying
  17. date — the fruit
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. cue — for pool
  20. tear — from crying
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bank — for money
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. deal — to handle

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