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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
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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: can · chest · ball · temple · pitcher · trunk · cue · rush

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. cue — a hint
  3. ball — a dance
  4. rush — hurry
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cue — for pool
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. chest — of your body
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. ball — a great time

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