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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: bank · jam · chest · temple · lie · leaves · cap · spring

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bank — for money
  3. cap — a lid
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bank — for money
  8. chest — of your body
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. spring — of water
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. chest — a box
  16. cap — a hat
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bank — of a river
  20. lie — to recline
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. leaves — of a tree

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