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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chest — of your body
  5. can — to be able to
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rash — a series
  9. toast — bread
  10. bulb — for light
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. chest — a box

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