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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: chest · band · field · temple · pop · chair · face · drill

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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 — a box
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. field — for sport
  4. pop — music
  5. face — to point toward
  6. drill — army training
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. drill — the tool
  9. field — farmland
  10. drill — a practice
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. face — to confront
  13. band — a music group
  14. field — a subject
  15. band — a ring
  16. pop — soda
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. face — part of the head
  20. chair — a leader
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pop — to visit
  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