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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.

Make a worksheet

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: leaves · can · bank · cap · game · temple · rash · snap

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. snap — to click
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. can — a tin
  6. game — wild animals
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bank — for money
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rash — hasty
  13. game — a match
  14. rash — a series
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bank — for money
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bank — of a river
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. can — a tin
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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