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

Word bank: chair · face · temple · chest · toast · race

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. 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. toast — the most admired
  3. race — humankind
  4. chair — a leader
  5. face — to point toward
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. chest — of your body
  8. race — a contest
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. race — the arms race
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. face — part of the head
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. face — to confront
  16. toast — bread
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. 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