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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: temple · racket · content · chest · present · toast · track · lean

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. lean — to bend
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. chest — of your body
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. content — happy
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lean — thin
  13. present — the time now
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. content — the amount
  18. toast — bread
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. present — a gift
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. present — there
  24. track — a path

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