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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. march — the month
  3. chest — a box
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chest — of your body
  9. toast — bread
  10. chip — to eat
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. content — the amount
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. content — happy
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. march — music
  21. vault — a safe
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. march — the month

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