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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 120 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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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: tube · band · chest · temple · ball · chip · bound · rash

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bound — obliged
  5. chip — to eat
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. tube — the underground
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chest — of your body
  15. band — a music group
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. chest — a box
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. tube — a container
  24. ball — a round shape

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