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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: straw · club · temple · hand · perch · chest · foot · leaves

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. club — for golf
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. hand — help
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. hand — in cards
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. perch — the fish
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. chest — of your body
  23. club — for dancing
  24. chest — a box

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