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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: chest · bank · saw · roll · mug · foot · temple · pop

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. pop — soda
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. mug — a face
  5. bank — for money
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a cup
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pop — to visit
  11. chest — a box
  12. saw — the tool
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. roll — a list
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. pop — music
  22. saw — the tool
  23. foot — a measure
  24. chest — of your body

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