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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: rush · temple · charge · chest · trunk · sharp · swing · lean

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. sharp — clever
  4. chest — a box
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. chest — of your body
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. charge — in control
  11. chest — of your body
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rush — hurry
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. charge — a price
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. swing — in golf
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  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