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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: bank · ground · temple · fine · calf · file · drill · bay

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. ground — a position
  3. file — a tool
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. ground — the earth
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. drill — the tool
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ground — crushed
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. drill — a practice
  12. fine — all right
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bank — for money
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. file — a document
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. drill — army training

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