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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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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: foot · lie · field · chest · racket · plane · temple · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. chest — of your body
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. present — there
  10. field — a subject
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. plane — a tool
  14. chest — a box
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. present — a gift
  18. foot — a measure
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. chest — of your body
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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