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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: ruler · chest · wound · spell · temple · current · pit · pitcher

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. current — of water
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pit — a hole
  11. spell — a short time
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pit — in a race
  14. current — electric
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. current — happening now
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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