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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 · plane · lie · chest · pop · arm · stick · toast

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — bread
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pop — to visit
  5. plane — a tool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. chest — of your body
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pop — soda
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. chest — of your body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. lie — to recline
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pop — music
  24. chest — a box

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