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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: cabinet · temple · pit · file · wind · bat · pop · bank

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bank — of a river
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bank — for money
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. pop — soda
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. file — a document
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pit — a hole
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bank — for money
  15. pit — in a race
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bat — the animal
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wind — to turn a key

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