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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: suit · bound · temple · chip · kid · chest · swing · fan

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. suit — to fit
  4. swing — to play on
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. swing — music
  7. bound — certain
  8. chip — to eat
  9. suit — clothes
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. chest — a box
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. kid — to tease
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bound — tied together
  18. suit — in cards
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bound — obliged
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. kid — child
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chip — for betting

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