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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: chip · kid · bank · mine · temple · face · branch · saw

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. face — part of the head
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bank — for money
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. branch — a division
  10. face — to confront
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — child
  13. bank — for money
  14. chip — for betting
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bank — of a river
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. mine — for digging
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. chip — to eat
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mine — belonging to me

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