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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: bank · temple · swing · mark · deal · chest · stem · foot

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. deal — to handle
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. swing — to play on
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. swing — in golf
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. swing — music
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bank — for money
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. mark — a grade
  17. foot — a measure
  18. chest — a box
  19. bank — for money
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bank — of a river
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. stem — to come from

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