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

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chest — of your body
  4. wax — to grow
  5. capital — money
  6. chest — a box
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. chip — to eat
  10. can — a tin
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. can — a tin
  13. chair — a leader
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. capital — a city
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. chest — of your body
  24. can — to be able to

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