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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. 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. race — a contest
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. swing — in golf
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pop — soda
  10. race — the arms race
  11. chest — of your body
  12. branch — a division
  13. chest — of your body
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. swing — music
  16. face — to confront
  17. race — humankind
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. swing — to play on
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. face — part of the head
  24. 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