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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fan · temple · cap · track · lean · band · pitch · chest

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. cap — a lid
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. cap — of ice
  8. track — to keep track
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. chest — of your body
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pitch — completely
  13. cap — a hat
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. track — a song
  16. band — a ring
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. band — a music group
  22. chest — a box
  23. track — a path
  24. lean — to rest against

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