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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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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: cabinet · bank · firm · kick · chest · fine · temple · wake

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. firm — a company
  4. fine — high quality
  5. chest — of your body
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. firm — steady
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bank — for money
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. fine — all right
  13. wake — a trail
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. firm — decided
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bank — for money
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bank — of a river
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — with a leg

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