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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: nail · bank · drill · temple · leaves · bass · court · dip

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. court — for sport
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. court — of law
  9. bass — the fish
  10. drill — a practice
  11. court — of a king
  12. bank — of a river
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. drill — army training
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bass — low music
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. dip — to sink

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