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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: present · temple · snap · pitcher · mate · perch · chest · rock

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  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. chest — of your body
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. snap — to click
  5. rock — music
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. present — a gift
  9. mate — a friend
  10. present — there
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rock — a stone
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. present — the time now
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mate — to breed
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mate — a partner
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. chest — a box
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chest — of your body
  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