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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 · racket · fan · rash · bat · temple · mark · calf

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — the animal
  5. chest — of your body
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — a trace
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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