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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: wave · nail · deal · stand · chest · hand · temple · perch

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hand — in cards
  6. chest — a box
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. stand — to bear
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. hand — help
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. chest — of your body
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. deal — to handle
  21. perch — the fish
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. temple — side of the head

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