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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: pound · stem · object · temple · dip · fan · chest · snap

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pound — a weight
  3. chest — a box
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. chest — of your body
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. snap — to click
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. object — an aim
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. object — to protest
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. object — a thing
  24. fan — a supporter

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