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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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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: season · tube · temple · firm · bank · content · fork · chest

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. firm — decided
  6. chest — a box
  7. season — of the year
  8. tube — the underground
  9. firm — steady
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. content — the amount
  12. tube — a container
  13. bank — for money
  14. chest — of your body
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bank — for money
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bank — of a river
  21. content — happy
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. firm — a company

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