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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: temple · object · bank · capital · kid · mine · deal · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bank — for money
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. kid — child
  6. mine — for digging
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. object — to protest
  15. capital — money
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. capital — a city
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bank — for money
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bank — of a river
  24. kid — to tease

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