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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: bank · kid · temple · lean · chip · deal · prune · saw

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. chip — to eat
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. kid — to tease
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. saw — the tool
  9. deal — to handle
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — child
  12. saw — the tool
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. lean — thin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. lean — to bend
  20. chip — for betting
  21. prune — to trim
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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