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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: chip · temple · row · pass · leaves · lean · mark · wound

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. row — a line
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pass — a permit
  5. chip — to eat
  6. lean — thin
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. chip — for betting
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. lean — to bend
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mark — a trace
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. wound — an injury
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pass — to spend time

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