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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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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: kick · land · can · file · cabinet · chest · temple · bank

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bank — for money
  6. land — a country
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. file — a document
  10. land — to come down
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bank — for money
  16. can — to be able to
  17. file — a tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. land — ground
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bank — of a river
  24. cabinet — ministers

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