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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chest — of your body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. march — the month
  16. chest — of your body
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chest — a box
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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