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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 120 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: bowl · temple · kick · land · board · bank · mouse · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. land — to come down
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bank — of a river
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kick — in football
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bank — for money
  11. land — ground
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bank — for money
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. land — a country
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. kid — child
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. temple — a place of worship

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