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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: tear · bank · temple · hand · mate · lash · wound · pit

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bank — of a river
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bank — for money
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bank — for money
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pit — in a race
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pit — a hole
  19. tear — from crying
  20. hand — help
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. tear — from crying
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mate — a friend

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