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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 120 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: nail · firm · fall · squash · temple · chest · craft · leaves

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. squash — to crush
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. chest — of your body
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. craft — boats
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — steady
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. fall — to drop
  12. squash — the sport
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. craft — a skill
  17. chest — of your body
  18. firm — decided
  19. fall — the season
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. chest — a box
  24. fall — to drop

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