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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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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: nail · leaves · chip · bank · saw · snap · temple · content

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bank — of a river
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. content — the amount
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. content — happy
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bank — for money
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. saw — the tool
  18. snap — to click
  19. bank — for money
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chip — for betting
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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