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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: pass · chip · mine · wound · cap · toast · temple · key

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. key — for a lock
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cap — a lid
  12. chip — for betting
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. key — in music
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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