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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bank — for money
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. lie — to recline
  6. root — the cause
  7. chest — of your body
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chest — a box
  12. sharp — clever
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bank — of a river
  17. root — of a plant
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bank — for money
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. root — of a word
  24. sharp — with an edge

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