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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: deal · ruler · staff · lash · chest · fall · temple · mouse

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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. temple — side of the head
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. fall — to drop
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. fall — the season
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fall — to drop
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. staff — employees
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. deal — to handle
  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