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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.

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: bass · cabinet · wax · temple · wound · chip · mine · bank

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. chip — for betting
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wound — an injury
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bass — the fish
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bank — for money
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bank — for money
  22. chip — to eat
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bass — low music

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