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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: pass · chest · temple · bank · track · fan · clip · snap

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. chest — a box
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bank — for money
  7. chest — of your body
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. clip — for paper
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. snap — to click
  12. bank — of a river
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. clip — to cut
  17. track — a path
  18. clip — a video
  19. track — a song
  20. bank — for money
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pass — a permit
  23. track — to keep track
  24. chest — of your body

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