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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. chest — of your body
  5. ground — a position
  6. chest — a box
  7. swing — to play on
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. swing — music
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in biology
  17. pound — a weight
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. chest — of your body
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pound — to hit hard

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