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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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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: temple · saw · can · face · bank · bark · content · suit

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. face — part of the head
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bank — for money
  11. can — a tin
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — to confront
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bark — to shout
  18. content — the amount
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bank — for money
  21. suit — clothes
  22. content — happy
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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