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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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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: bore · chest · temple · pop · cell · straw · racket · object

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. chest — of your body
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. object — an aim
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pop — to visit
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. pop — soda
  18. bore — to tire
  19. object — a thing
  20. pop — music
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. object — to protest

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