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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
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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: can · bank · pass · last · capital · temple · roll · chest

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — a list
  3. bank — for money
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. last — finally
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. capital — money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. capital — a city
  12. bank — for money
  13. last — to go on
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. can — a tin
  23. last — final
  24. roll — on a roll

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