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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.

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: temple · face · land · bank · pitcher · bark · mine · snap

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. land — a country
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. land — to come down
  8. bank — of a river
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. land — ground
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. face — part of the head
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to click
  17. bark — to shout
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. face — to confront
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mine — for digging
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bank — for money

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