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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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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: land · chest · tube · rest · temple · key · ruler · bound

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rest — what's left
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. land — to come down
  7. key — the most important part
  8. tube — a container
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. land — a country
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rest — a break
  17. land — ground
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rest — what's left
  24. temple — side of the head

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