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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: last · temple · foot · rest · object · chest · safe · nail

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. chest — of your body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. last — to go on
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. object — to protest
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. object — a thing
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. last — finally
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. rest — a break
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rest — what's left
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. rest — what's left
  22. object — an aim
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. foot — a measure

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