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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · toast · spell · mug · temple · chest · cap · plane

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rash — hasty
  3. mug — a cup
  4. spell — letters
  5. cap — a hat
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rash — a series
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. spell — a short time
  13. toast — bread
  14. cap — a lid
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. mug — to rob
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mug — a face
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. spell — magic
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. chest — a box
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. plane — a tool

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