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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bank — for money
  4. court — for sport
  5. chest — a box
  6. bank — of a river
  7. can — to be able to
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. court — of law
  10. degree — temperature
  11. can — a tin
  12. court — of a king
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bank — for money
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. degree — from a university
  21. can — a tin
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. chest — of your body
  24. foot — part of the 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