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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: cell · last · present · bound · current · chest · pop · temple

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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. bound — tied together
  4. current — happening now
  5. last — finally
  6. pop — music
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. current — electric
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bound — certain
  14. present — there
  15. bound — obliged
  16. present — a gift
  17. last — final
  18. cell — a phone
  19. current — of water
  20. last — to go on
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cell — in biology
  23. present — the time now
  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