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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: row · cell · temple · chest · press · calf · mouse · spring

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. press — newspapers
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cell — a phone
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. chest — a box
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. chest — of your body
  9. row — a line
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. row — to paddle
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. chest — of your body
  22. press — to push
  23. cell — in biology
  24. temple — a place of worship

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