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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: wind · ball · staff · can · bass · degree · chest · temple

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wind — moving air
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. bass — the fish
  6. staff — a stick
  7. ball — a great time
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. staff — employees
  10. bass — low music
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. degree — an amount
  14. can — a tin
  15. degree — from a university
  16. chest — of your body
  17. degree — temperature
  18. staff — employees
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. chest — a box
  23. ball — a dance
  24. temple — a place of worship

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