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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. stem — to come from
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. wax — to grow
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. temple — a place of worship

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