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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: suit · mark · bank · pitcher · rule · wind · saw · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bank — for money
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. suit — in cards
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wind — moving air
  16. saw — the tool
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bank — for money
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bank — of a river
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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