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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: toast · temple · cabinet · content · chest · squash · bank · net

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. toast — bread
  4. bank — for money
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. net — in sport
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bank — for money
  10. chest — of your body
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. net — for catching
  13. chest — of your body
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. net — after costs
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. chest — a box
  20. squash — to crush
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bank — of a river
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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