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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chest · temple · mug · kick · racket · rock

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. chest — of your body
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mug — a cup
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mug — a face
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rock — music
  15. chest — a box
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. kick — in football
  18. racket — for tennis

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