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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: temple · chest · cell · mine · stand · suit · scale · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. scale — in music
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. scale — size or range
  9. cell — a phone
  10. chest — of your body
  11. cell — in biology
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mine — for digging
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. suit — to fit
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bear — the animal
  20. suit — in cards
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. chest — a box
  23. suit — clothes
  24. temple — side of the head

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