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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: fork · tear · toast · temple · swing · pass · foot · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. swing — music
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. chest — of your body
  7. tear — from crying
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pass — a permit
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. chest — of your body
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. fork — in a road
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. swing — to play on
  22. tear — to rip
  23. toast — bread
  24. tear — from crying

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