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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.

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: chest · temple · nail · bank · calf · wax · mine · cabinet

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bank — for money
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bank — of a river
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wax — to grow
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — for digging
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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