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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. chest — a box
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cell — in biology
  7. chest — of your body
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. season — of the year
  10. firm — decided
  11. tube — the underground
  12. firm — a company
  13. cell — a phone
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. chest — of your body
  21. firm — steady
  22. season — in sport
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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