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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. deal — to handle
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. root — of a word
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. root — of a plant
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. root — the cause
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. tear — from crying

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