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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: swing · temple · mine · net · toast · pass · dip · bank

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bank — for money
  6. swing — in golf
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. net — for catching
  9. toast — bread
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bank — for money
  13. net — after costs
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. net — in sport
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. swing — music
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bank — of a river
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. mine — for digging

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