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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 120 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: stand · wind · row · temple · ball · drill · object · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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 — of your body
  2. drill — the tool
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. wind — moving air
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. object — an aim
  8. chest — of your body
  9. object — to protest
  10. ball — a dance
  11. chest — a box
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. drill — army training
  14. row — to paddle
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wind — moving air
  17. ball — a great time
  18. row — a line
  19. stand — to bear
  20. object — a thing
  21. drill — a practice
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. stand — on your feet
  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