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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.

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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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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: mate · bank · arm · kick · temple · fine · leaves · snap

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fine — high quality
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mate — to breed
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mate — a friend
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. kick — in football
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. arm — a part of something

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