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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · bay · bank · track · present · temple · pitcher · spring

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. present — there
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. track — a path
  7. spring — the season
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. present — a gift
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. track — to keep track
  15. present — the time now
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. kick — in football
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. track — a song
  22. spring — of water
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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