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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: lie · rest · pass · mark · bank · hand · nail · temple

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pass — a permit
  11. lie — to recline
  12. mark — a trace
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mark — a grade
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bank — for money
  24. hand — help

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