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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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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: temple · chest · present · ground · object · foot · lean · racket

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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. ground — the earth
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. ground — crushed
  6. object — an aim
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. present — there
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. present — a gift
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. foot — a measure
  18. object — to protest
  19. present — the time now
  20. object — a thing
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. ground — a position
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lean — thin

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