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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: temple · jam · scale · date · firm · face · chest · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. firm — steady
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. firm — decided
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. chest — of your body
  9. scale — in music
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. face — to confront
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. chest — a box
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. chest — of your body
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. face — to point toward
  23. firm — a company
  24. jam — a tight spot

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