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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: temple · band · bat · rock · stand · firm · chest · hide

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. chest — of your body
  4. firm — steady
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rock — a stone
  8. firm — decided
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. band — a ring
  11. bat — the animal
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chest — a box
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. rock — music
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. band — a music group
  24. chest — of your body

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